Please note: this is a translation of the French book Karstologie: Karsts, Grottes et Sources published by Dunod, Paris, in 2011.
Karst landscapes are home to 25% of the world's drinking water supplies, and in many countries water supply is highly dependent on karst aquifers. Their unique structures, containing many voids, are a particular problem for building corporations and land developers. Fundamental and Applied Karstology, written by the well-known karstologist Eric Gilli, presents a diverse range of chapters on: history of karstology, aquifers and their characterization, water supply management, coastal and submarine karsts, evolution of karst and paleokarst, paleontology, tourism, and oil and mineral reserves.
- Foreword
- Introduction and Definitions
- History of karstology
- Carbonate rocks
- The limestone dissolution
- Components of the karst landforms
- Different types of landforms
- The endokarst and the speleogenesis
- Evolution of karst and paleokarst
- Parakarsts and pseudokarsts
- Caving and study endokarst
- Karst aquifers
- Characterization of aquifers
- Water supply and Water management
- Coastal and submarine karst
- Management problems in karst areas
- Tourism
- Mineral Resournces
- Hydrothermalism and geothermy
- The study of paleoenvironments
- Geodesy and rock mechanics
- Paleontology, prehistory and biology
- CONCLUSION
- References