Proceedings of the Ninth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, held in Huntsville, Alabama, September 6-10, 2003. Sponsored by the Geo-Institute of ASCE: the National Ground Water Association; P.E. LaMoreaux and Associates, Inc. This Geotechnical Special Publication contains 67 papers on karst terrain, which presents unique engineering and environmental problems. The top rock is highly irregular and the rock itself is often riddled with voids, creating unreliable foundation conditions. Precipitation drains down the rock rather than running off over the surface and erodes the surficial sediments downward, causing sinkhole collapse and ground settlement. Groundwater moves rapidly through dissolved drainage channels in the rock resulting in a turbulent flow, which allows pollutants to be transported great distances very quickly. Traditional groundwater quality monitoring systems as required by many regulations are inapplicable in karst terrains and may fail to detect contaminants. The unique set of problems requires new and innovative techniques developed by engineers and scientists from all over North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst

Stability of shallow karstic caverns in blocky rock masses

The use of karst geomorphology for planning, hazard avoidance and development in Great Britain

Dietary variation and overlap in Central and Northwest European Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis and S. hemitoechus (Rhinocerotidae, Mammalia) influenced by habitat diversity: “You'll have to take pot luck!” (proverb)

Selenium enrichment in Carboniferous Shales, Britain and Ireland: Problem or opportunity for shale gas extraction?

We present 23 new thermal ionization mass spectrometric U-Th dates for Victoria Cave, North Yorkshire, UK. Victoria Cave underwent repeated glaciation during the late Pleistocene and contains one of the longest Quaternary cave sequences in Britain. The dates reveal that speleothem formation began beyond the range of the dating technique (before 600 ka). Finite reproducible dates of 490 −9/+10 ka confirm speleothem deposition during marine isotope stage (MIS) 13, the oldest date we know of for this part of Britain. Further speleothem formation was dated to MIS 11, MIS 9, MIS 7, and MIS 5. The results are the basis for a new chronology of Quaternary events for the cave and greatly enhance our understanding of the factors affecting the formation of the sedimentary sequence. Cyclical climatic and environmental change throughout the late Pleistocene triggered cyclical sedimentation events in the cave. All the interglacial periods show calcite deposition but with growth phases postdating the warmest events of MIS 11 and MIS 5e. The position of the cave halfway up the side of a glacial trough resulted in very distinctive sediment during the more extreme glacial maxima: ice-dammed lakes formed inside the cave and deposited varve-like clay rhythmites. The dates inferred for these deposits suggest that this locality underwent significant glaciation during MIS 12, MIS 10, MIS 6, and MIS 2, and that the ice was warm based. The absence of rhythmites during MIS 8 suggests minimal ice cover at that time. This is the most complete record for glacial events in the region; it is the only site where successive glacial maxima can be identified and dated. The record of large faunal remains indicates that the cave was open to the surface, only for relatively short times, during MIS 13, MIS 12, MIS 5e, the Late Glacial Interstadial, and parts of the Holocene. It is inferred that at other times the cave was closed because scree formation blocked the entrance. The record of vertebrate remains is therefore controlled by geomorphological processes. The deteriorating state of this unprotected site remains a cause for concern.

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Thermal ionization mass spectrometer U-Th dates on Pleistocene speleothems from Victoria Cave, North Yorkshire, UK: Implications for paleoenvironment and stratigraphy over multiple glacial cycles

Enhancing understanding of breakdown and collapse in the Yorkshire Dales using ground penetrating radar on cave sediments

Heavily karstified gypsum and dolomite aquifers occur in the Permian (Zechstein Group) of Eastern England. Here rapid active gypsum dissolution causes subsidence and abundant sinkholes affect an approximately 140-km by 3-km area from Darlington, through Ripon to Doncaster. The topography and easterly dip of the strata feed artesian water through the dolomite up into the overlying gypsum sequences. The shallow-circulating groundwater emerges as sulfate-rich springs with temperatures between 9-12 oC, many emanating from sinkholes that steam and do not freeze in the winter (such as Hell Kettles, Darlington). Water also circulates from the east through the overlying Triassic sandstone aquifer. Calcareous tufa deposits and tufa-cemented gravels also attest to the passage and escape of this groundwater. 

The sizes of the sinkholes, their depth and that of the associated breccia pipes is controlled by the thickness of gypsum that can dissolve and by the bulking factors associated with the collapsed rocks. The presence of sulfate-rich water affects the local potability of the supply. Groundwater abstraction locally aggravates the subsidence problems, both by active dissolution and drawdown. Furthermore, the gypsum and dolomite karstification has local implications for the installation of ground-source heat pumps. The sulfate-rich springs show where active subsidence is expected; their presence along with records of subsidence can inform planning and development of areas requiring mitigation measures.

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The role of sulfate-rich springs and groundwater in the formation of sinkholes over gypsum in eastern England

SUMMARY The outcrop of Permian strata to the east of Leeds exhibits a variety of karstic and palaeokarstic features. The area is crossed by an extensive network of dry valley systems and lacks surface water. Two different karst types are recognized: dolomite and dolomitic limestone karst, and gypsum karst. Dolomite and dolomitic limestone karst is characterized by small isolated dolines whereas gypsum karst is characterized by large-scale dolines, many occurring in groups. An appreciation of the karstic nature of parts of the Permian outcrop is becoming increasingly important because of pressure from development and waste disposal.

The karstification of the Permian strata east of Leeds

Abstract Caves are important as they preserve archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data otherwise lost from the land surface. The fragile nature and limited extent of cave deposits is often not appreciated by non‐specialists and the activities of the main group of cave visitors (sporting cavers) are viewed as damaging to the cave interior deposits. Potential threats to the cave interior deposits of the Yorkshire Dales National Park including caver activity are reviewed. It is concluded that sporting cavers have added greatly to our knowledge of the archaeological record contained in the caves. They appreciate the value of the underground environment and take steps to preserve the cave interior deposits. Any geoconservation strategy that deals with caves must involve the caving community.

P Murphy

Papers

Thermal ionization mass spectrometer U-Th dates on Pleistocene speleothems from Victoria Cave, North Yorkshire, UK: Implications for paleoenvironment and stratigraphy over multiple glacial cycles

Enhancing understanding of breakdown and collapse in the Yorkshire Dales using ground penetrating radar on cave sediments

The role of sulfate-rich springs and groundwater in the formation of sinkholes over gypsum in eastern England

The karstification of the Permian strata east of Leeds

Cavers and geoconservation: the history of cave exploration and its contribution to speleology in the Yorkshire Dales