Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte, Volume 38: The Unknown North of Laos, Part 3: 2009-2010 Karst and Caves of the Provinces Houaphan and Oudomxay

About this book

Language: English with trilingual abstract in English, German, and French

Before the publication of Dreybrodt & Laumanns (2005a), which summarises the exploration done between 2000 and 2005, northern Laos was virtually unknown to speleology. Only a few reconnaissance projects were conducted prior to 2000 in the province of Luang Phrabang. The afore-mentioned publication provided information on 24,3 km of cave passages from 68 caves. In the framework of the “Northern Lao–European Cave Project” (www.laoscaveproject.de) the investigations were continued in 2006 in Vieng Phouka (Luang Nam Tha province), and in 2007 and 2008 mainly in Vieng Xai (Houaphan province) (Dreybrodt & Laumanns 2008). This publication reports on the findings of the years 2009 and 2010, including a biospeleological chapter, a chapter on physico-chemical water analysis and the speläogenesis of the Tham Chom Ong System as well as a chapter on palaeoclimatic research. It comprises descriptions of 39 caves with 28,3 km of new passages. Overall, 80 km of cave passage from 176 caves has been surveyed and published to date in northern Laos (excluding Vang Vieng and Kasi).

Contents

Content     
Abstract / Zusammenfassung / Résumé     5

1.     Acknowledgements / Team Meübers     7
2.     Introduction     10
2.1     History of speleological exploration in Laos     10
2.2     General remarks     13
3.     Cave descriptions     16
3.1     New caves of the Houaphan province     16
3.1.1     Geological overview     16
3.1.2     Area L: Caves of the Vieng Thong region     17
3.2     The caves of the Oudomxay province     32
3.2.1     General remarks     32
3.2.2     Geological overview     34
3.2.3     Area O: Xai, Namor and La districts     34
3.2.4     Area P: Pakbeng district     44
3.2.5     Area Q: Houn district     48
4.     Paleoclimatic research (by Vasile Ersek)     50
5.     Some cave features, Physio–chemical and climatological data (by François Brouquisse)     52
6.     Biospeleological observations (by Helmut Steiner)     64
7.     Conclusions     105
8.     References     105

Annexes     
Caves explored during the 2009 — 2010 speleological projects     113
Photo tables     115
Atlas sheets cave survey Tham Thia Thong     118
Atlas sheets cave survey Tham Cham Ong System     123
Atlas sheets cave survey Tham Na Thong     145

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