Natural and anthropogenic hazards in karst areas: recognition, analysis and mitigation

199 Pages·2007·31.11 MB·English

by  Mario Parise

Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards in Karst Areas:
Recognition, Analysis and Mitigation
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PARISE, M. & GUNN, J. (eds) 2007. Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards in Karst Areas: Recognition,
AnalysisandMitigation.GeologicalSociety,London,SpecialPublications,279.
NISIO, S., CARAMANNA, G. & CIOTOLI, G. 2007. Sinkholes in Italy: first results on the inventory and
analysis. In: PARISE, M. & GUNN, J. (eds) Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards in Karst Areas:
Recognition,AnalysisandMitigation.GeologicalSociety,London,SpecialPublications,279,23–45.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL PUBLICATION NO. 279
Natural and Anthropogenic Hazards in Karst Areas:
Recognition, Analysis and Mitigation
EDITED BY
M. PARISE
National Research Council, Research Institute for Hydrogeological Protection,
Bari, Italy
and
J. GUNN
Limestone Research Group, Universityof Huddersfield, UK
2007
Published by
The Geological Society
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Contents
PARISE,M.&GUNN,J.Naturalandanthropogenichazardsinkarstareas:anintroduction 1
Collapseandsubsidencehazards
BRINKMANN,R.,WILSON,K.,ELKO,N.,SEALE,L.D.,FLOREA,L.&VACHER,H.L. 5
Sinkholedistributionbasedonpre-developmentmappinginurbanizedPinellasCounty,
Florida,USA
WALTHAM,T.&LU,Z.Naturalandanthropogenicrockcollapseoveropencaves 13
NISIO,S.,CARAMANNA,G.&CIOTOLI,G.SinkholesinItaly:firstresultsontheinventory 23
andanalysis
ARDAU,F.,BALIA,R.,BIANCO,M.&DE WAELE,J.Assessmentofcover-collapsesinkholes 47
inSWSardinia(Italy)
SANTO,A.,DEL PRETE,S.,DI CRESCENZO,G.&ROTELLA,M.Karstprocessesandslope 59
instability:someinvestigationsinthecarbonateApennineofCampania(southernItaly)
MOCHALES,T.,PUEYO,E.L.,CASAS,A.M.&SORIANO,M.A.Magneticprospectionasan 73
efficienttoolfordolinedetection:acasestudyinthecentralEbroBasin(northernSpain)
Hydrologicalhazards
COSSU,A.,DE WAELE,J.&DI GREGORIO,F.Coastalkarstgeomorphositesatrisk?Acase 85
study:thefloodsof6–11December2004incentral-eastSardinia
GUNN,J.Contributoryareadefinitionforgroundwatersourceprotectionandhazardmitigation 97
incarbonateaquifers
ALLSHORN,S.J.L.,BOTTRELL,S.H.,WEST,L.J.&ODLING,N.E.Rapidkarsticbypass 111
flowintheunsaturatedzoneoftheYorkshirechalkaquiferandimplicationsforcontaminant
transport
BOTTRELL,S.H.Stableisotopesinaqueoussulphateastracersofnaturalandcontaminant 123
sulphatesources:areconnaissancestudyoftheXingwenkarstaquifer,Sichuan,China
DUCCI,D.IntrinsicvulnerabilityoftheAlburnikarstsystem(southernItaly) 137
DELLE ROSE,M.,PARISE,M.&ANDRIANI,G.F.Evaluatingtheimpactofquarryingon 153
karstaquifersofSalento(southernItaly)
Managingkarst
DAY,M.J.NaturalandanthropogenichazardsinthekarstofJamaica 173
CHALMIN,E.,D’ORLYE´,F.,ZINGER,L.,CHARLET,L.,GEREMIA,R.A.,ORIAL,G., 185
MENU,M.,BAFFIER,D.&REICHE,I.Bioticversusabioticcalciteformationonprehistoric
cavepaintings:theArcy-sur-Cure‘GrandeGrotte’(Yonne,France)case
Index 199
Natural and anthropogenic hazards in karst areas:
an introduction
M. PARISE1& J. GUNN2
1National Research Council of Italy, IRPI, Bari, Italy
(e-mail: [email protected])
2Limestone Research Group, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield
HD1 3DH, UK (e-mail: [email protected])
The distinctive hydrology and landforms of karst (for examples see Waltham et al. 2005). Hence,
create a very special environment. Although thereremainsastrongneedtodevelopappropriate
several types of karst have been identified world- techniquestomanagekarstlandscapesandprotect
wide,acommonthreadisthedominantlysubterra- karstresources.
neandrainage.Thepaucityofwaterflowingatthe Therearemanyhumanactivitiesthat,intention-
surface, a consequence of rapid infiltration under- ally or not, produce severe impacts in karst, often
groundthroughanetworkofdiscontinuitiesin the with irreparable damage. For example, in some
solublerockmass,resultsintwoimportantbutcon- regions land degradation has been intense with
trastingpoints:theconsiderablevalueofkarstwater deforestation and overgrazing leading to soil
resources(representingabout25%ofthedrinkable erosion,destructionoftheepikarstandrockydeser-
supplyintheworld)isstronglycounteractedbythe tification. Rehabilitation of these desert lands is
ease with which human activities can negatively extremely difficult, although in some parts of the
impactthispreciousresource.Thesamenarrowdis- Mediterranean reduction of grazing has been fol-
continuities,andthelargerdissolutionconduitsand lowedbyareturnofshrubsandsmalltrees.Legis-
karst caves, are the main pathways through which lation,andevenmoreitspracticalenforcement,still
potential pollutants may travel swiftly to regional appearstobeextremelyinadequateatfacingthese
groundwater bodies, or directly to springs. Con- problems, even in well-developed countries. Lack
taminantscanbeintroducedbymeansofdispersed of laws and acts specifically devoted to karst is
infiltrationaswellasfrompointsourcesandarefre- very common, but even when legislation takes
quently transmitted with minimal filtering. This into account the complexity and peculiarity of
example, just one of the many natural and/or karst the potential benefits deriving from these
anthropogenic hazards that may affect karst areas, actsfrequentlyremainonpaperowingtoalackof
illustrates the fragility of karst environments. enforcementandcontrolbytheauthorities.
Their high vulnerability is further expressed by a The best example is probably provided by the
very simple concept that is true for many other management of aquifers in carbonate rocks, as this
environmentsbutprobablyshowsitsbestevidence requires an understanding ofthe character and type
inkarst:itisveryeasytodamageordestroynatural ofwatercirculationwithintherockmass.Formany
resourcesbutrestorationtoapristinesituationisan years the principles developed for non-carbonate
extremelydifficultandcommonlyimpossible,task. aquifers,andtheresultingmethodologiescreatedfor
Wheresomedegreeofremediationispossible,the groundwater vulnerability assessment, have also
economiccostiscommonlyveryhigh. beenappliedtokarstenvironments.However,ithas
Sincetheearly1960stherehasbeenagreatdeal longbeenknownthattheplanningandmanagement
ofprogressinunderstandingtheprocessesandland- of carbonate aquifers poses different problems to
forms of karst areas (e.g. Ford & Williams 1989; those encountered in non-carbonate groundwater.
Gillieson1996;Klimchouketal.2000;Gabrovsek Karstgroundwaterwatershedsoftendonotcoincide
2002). There have also been several initiatives withtopographicdivides,toindicatejustoneofthe
designed to translate theoretical knowledge into maindifferencesbetweenkarsthydrologyandthose
practicalapplication,forexampleworkbytheInter- in other environments. Only in recent years have
national Geographical Unions Karst Commission some significant efforts been produced to give due
(Williams1993;Barany-Kevei&Gunn2000),the weight to the peculiarity of karst hydrology and
IUCN (1996) and the World Bank (Vermeulen & hydrogeology (for example, the COST 65 (1995)
Whitten1999).However,projectscontinuetofail, andsubsequentCOST(Co-OperationinScienceand
and resources are lost or damaged owing to a Technology) programmes in Europe and the report
failure in understanding the peculiarities of karst byEckenfelderInc.(1996)intheUnitedStates).
From:PARISE,M.&GUNN,J.(eds)NaturalandAnthropogenicHazardsinKarstAreas:Recognition,Analysisand
Mitigation.GeologicalSociety,London,SpecialPublications,279,1–3.DOI:10.1144/SP279.1
0305-8719/07/$15.00 #TheGeologicalSocietyofLondon2007.
2 M.PARISE&J.GUNN
ThisSpecialPublicationbringstogetherpapers hydrogeological features of karst, the transport of
presented at the Second General Assembly of the water inkarstareasandthepossiblecontamination
European Geosciences Union in Vienna, Austria, frompollutantsarepresented.Cossuetal.describe
24–29 April 2005, together with invited contri- thefloodthataffectedcentral-eastSardiniain2004;
butions. The authors discuss, and illustrate by Gunn presents an interesting attempt to define the
means of case studies from a variety of different protectionzonesofgroundwatersourceincarbonate
karstareas,someofthemostcommongeohazards aquifers,aimedatmitigatingtherelatedhazard.Two
inkarst,togetherwithsomeappropriatemitigation contributionsregardpollutionofkarstgroundwater,
procedures and operations. The book is divided through the example of the flow in the unsaturated
intothreesectionsdealingwithcollapseandsubsi- zoneoftheChalkinEnglandpresentedbyAllshorn
dencehazards,hydrologicalhazards,andproblems etal.andastudyoftheXingwenaquiferinSichuan,
in managing karst. Collapses and subsidence ChinabyBottrell.Thissectioniscompletedwiththe
phenomena are among the more subtle hazards in contributionsbyDucciontheassessmentofthevul-
karst owing to the difficulty in predicting such nerabilityofkarstgroundwaterintheAlburniMassif
events, and particularly the potential for rapid to ofsouthernItaly,oneofthemostimportantareasin
veryrapidvelocityintheirfinalstage,whichoften the country as regards speleological research, and
leads to catastrophic damage. The development of byDelleRoseetal.describingtheimpactonground-
collapse dolines (sinkholes) provides a good illus- waterresourcesfromextensivequarryinginakarst
tration of the interconnections that exist in karst areaofApulia,againinsouthernItaly.
between the surface and the subsurface. Their The complexity of karst, and the necessity for
genesis and later evolution, up to the eventual, comprehensivestudiesrequiringspecialistsfroma
potentiallycatastrophic,collapse,arerelatedtothe greatrangeofdisciplines,posemanymanagement
development of an underground cavity, with pro- problemsinkarstareas.Inparticular,everyaction
gressive upwards stoping leading to the formation carried out at the surface may have a rapid, and
of a collapse at the surface. The topic is treated potentially dangerous, effect underground. It is
throughdescriptionofseveralexamplesfromdiffer- extremely easy to unflict damage on the environ-
entpartsoftheworld:Brinkmannetal.illustrate ment, but restoration of the original situation is
thedistributionofsinkholesinaheavilyurbanized a very difficult, sometimes impossible, task. To
county in Florida, USA, whilst Mochales et al. cover the issue of karst management, and the
describe the use of geophysical prospections to related natural and anthropogenic hazards, two
identify dolines in the Ebro Basin in northern examples are presented in the final section of the
Spain, and Ardau et al. deal with cover-collapse book. The first one, by Day, deals with tropical
sinkholesintheSardiniaIslandofItaly.Inaddition surface karst in Jamaica, and provide a overview
to the case studies that illustrate doline develop- ofthemanyhazardsaffectingthiscountry.Incon-
ment, distribution and evolution, the mechanisms trast, the second example comes from France, by
of collapses over open natural caves are also dis- Chalminetal.,andpointstotheneedforprotection
cussed in the contribution by Waltham & Lu. of the heritage contained in natural caves, and
ThisfirstsectionisfurtherenrichedbyNisioetal. specifically prehistoric paintings, that may be
with analysis of an inventory of dolines recently severely damaged by both natural processes and
carried out in Italy, and by a contribution from human impact. This last chapter of the book pro-
Santoetal.thathighlightstheroleofkarstprocesses vides a link between the first presence of humans
in the genesis and/or the evolution of instabilities in the underground environment and the use (or,
otherthandolines,namelyrockfallsandlandslides. unfortunately, the frequent misuse) of natural
Wateriscrucialforkarstprocesses.Itisoneofthe karstresourcesbymodernhumansociety.Itisprob-
keyfactors,togetherwithcarbondioxide,thatinitiate ablycorrectto affirmthat,notwithstandinghuman
thedissolutionofcarbonaterocksand,lateron,influ- evolution and the development of technologies,
encethetypeofkarst.Atthesametime,groundwater humans have progressively lost their original
contained in karst aquifers represents a remarkable abilityto live‘in a sustainableway’in the natural
resource that needs to be properly safeguarded. environment.Theconceptofsustainabilityinman-
Water canalsobedestructive inkarst,withnatural agement of human activity is based on attaining a
hazardssuchasflashfloodswhenthesurfaceandsub- balance between social, environmental and econ-
surface karst systems do not have the capacity to omic outcomes. Sustainable management of karst,
transmit the huge amount of water deriving from and of its resources, must be a priority for all
intense or prolonged rainfalls. All these issues are those working in and studying karst areas. To
examined in the second section of the book where exploit without producing damage, to respect the
thefocusisonhydrologicalhazards. environment and to offer to those populations
Case studies, and the outcomes of research living in karst the opportunity to develop and
projectscarriedouttodeepenourknowledgeofthe improve their style of life through the proper
HAZARDSINKARSTAREAS:ANINTRODUCTION 3
exploitation of karst, all of these tasks must be FORD,D.C.&WILLIAMS,P.W.1989.KarstGeomor-
pursued. To this aim, it is necessary to attain a phologyandHydrology.UnwinHyman,London.
good knowledge of the intrinsic characters of GABROVSEK, F. (ed.) 2002. Evolution of Karst: From
karst systems, and of the effects produced by the Prekarst to Cessation. Postojna-Ljubljana: Zalozba
ZRC.
human activities on it as well. As Editors, we
GILLIESON,D.1996.Caves.Blackwell,Oxford.
hope that this book will provide a contribution to
IUCN.1996.GuidelinesforCaveandKarstProtection.
improve our understanding of the natural and
TheWorldConservationUnion,Gland,Switzerland.
anthropogenichazardsinkarst. KLIMCHOUK, A., FORD, D., PALMER, A. & DREY-
BRODT, W. (eds) 2000. Speleogenesis: Evolution of
KarstAquifers.NationalSpeleologicalSociety,Hunts-
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