Vulnerability of Karst Terranes to Ground Collapses and Groundwater Contamination
摘要
Recharge and groundwater flow characteristics are the primary factors that make karst terranes vulnerable to surface collapse and contamination. One-dimensional channels, two-dimensional planar partings such as fractures, joints, and faults, and three-dimensional inter-granular matrix pores constitute porosities for groundwater storage and flow in a karst aquifer. While rapid and possibly turbulent flow occurs in large channels, commonly termed conduits, or caves if they are accessible by people, slow and laminar flow occurs in the rock matrices and tight fractures.