Mapping specific landform entities in the past is mainly achieved by manually examining contour lines on topographic maps. Automated delimitation of specific landform from digital elevation data remains difficult in geomorphologic mapping. This paper presents a method to automatically identify five common surface features of karst landscapes: isolated karst hill or sinkhole, clustered karst hil...

To determine the role of microbes in karst processes, it is necessary to investigate the ecological distribution and characteristics of soil microorganisms in karst areas. In this paper, a preliminary study was carried out in two different karst areas of Southwest China: Nongla and the Guilin Yaji Karst Experimental Site (Guangxi). Soil samples from 10–20 cm in depth were analyzed for the numbe...

Karst processes greatly complicate the construction and operation of buildings and structures. Due to the karstic deformations at different times there have been several major accidents, which analysis showed that in all cases the fundamental errors committed at different stages of building development: site selection, engineering survey, design, construction or operation of the facilities. The...

As the major field in petroleum reserve growth, fractured-vuggy reservoir is the key research in the future. However, in the development of fracture-cavity reservoir, collapse may occur in karst cave which greatly affects the oil well output. In order to forecast the cave collapse before drilling, this work adopts the method of span dichotomy reduction to determine the critical karst collapse o...

Karst topography covers more than 1/3 of the People's Republic of China in area. The porous, fissured, and soluble nature of the underlying karst bedrock (primarily dolomite and limestone) leads to the formation of underground drainage systems. Karst conduit networks dominate this system, and rainfall takes a crucial role on water cycle at China karst area. Nitrogen loss from the karst system i...

Karst hills, that is, jagged topography created by dissolution of limestone and other soluble rocks, are distributed extensively in tropical forest regions, including southern parts of China. They are characterized by a sharp mosaic of water and nutrient availability, from exposed hilltops with poor soil development to valleys with occasional flooding, to which trees show species-specific distr...

In China, 9Ð5% of the landmass is karst terrain and of that 47,000 km2 is located in semiarid regions. In these regions the karst aquifers feed many large karst springs within basins of thousands of square kilometres. Spring discharges reflect the fluctuation of ground water level and variability of ground water storage in the basins. However, karst aquifers are highly heterogeneous and monitor...

The objective of this project was to investigate the current state of the practice with regards to karst detection methods and current karst construction practices and to recommend the best practices for use by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). A comprehensive review of literature available on the subject was conducted. Various karst detection technologies were summarized with r...

Strong karstlize effect forming surface and underground double-space structure in karst area, what resulting groundwater systems are extremely sensitive to outside interference. This article mainly focuses on the vulnerability assessment of karst groundwater, proposing that the vulnerability assessment of karst groundwater should be considered from three perspectives: the inherent vulnerability...

The term “karst” applies to a distinctive type of landscape that develops from the dissolving action of water on soluble bedrock (Figure 11.1)—primarily limestone and marble but also dolostone, gypsum and halite. Karst landscapes are characterized by fluted and pitted rock surfaces, shafts, sinkholes, sinking streams, springs, subsurface drainage systems, and caves. The unique features and thre...