Karst spring

Akarst springorkarstic springis aspring(exsurgence, outflow ofgroundwater) that is part of akarsthydrological system.^[2]

Description

Because of their often conical or inverted bowl shape, karst springs are also known in German-speaking lands as aTopf( "pot" ) which is reflected in names such asAachtopf(the source of theRadolfzeller Aach) orBlautopf(the source of theBlau riverinBlaubeuren).

Karst springs often have a very highyieldordischarge rate,because they are often fed by underground drainage from a largecatchment basin.Because the springs are usually the terminus of a cave drainage system at the place where a river cave reaches the Earth's surface, it is often possible to enter the caves from karst springs for exploration.

Large karst springs are located in many parts of the world; the largest ones are believed to be inPapua New Guinea,with others located inMediterraneancountries such asBosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia,Turkey,Slovenia,andItaly.^[3]

Types

Anestavelleorinversacis a ground orifice which, depending on weather conditions and season, can serve either as a sink or as a source of fresh water. It is a type ofsinkhole.^[4]

AVauclusian springis a spring that originates from a shaft or a cave system, with the water surging upwards under relatively high pressure. It is named after theFontaine de Vauclusein southern France.^[4]

Submarine karst springs, also known asvruljas,occur worldwide, and are most numerous in shallow waters of theMediterranean Sea.^[4]They can be considered to be karst springs which have become submerged byrising sea levels.

Forintermittentorrhythmic springssee below. They are part of another type of classification, which differentiates betweenperennial(with continuous flow),rhythmic,andtemporarysprings.^{[clarification needed]}

Hydrological features

A main feature of karst springs is that water is rapidly transported by caverns, so that there is minimal filtering of the water and little separation of different sediments. Groundwater emerges at the spring within a few days from precipitation. Storms, snowmelt, and general seasonal changes in rainfall have a very noticeable and rapid effect on karst springs.^[5]

Many karst springs dry up during the driest part of the year, and are thus known asintermittent springs.^{[dubious–discuss]}Still others are dry most of the year round and only flow after heavy rain. Sources that only flow during wet years are often known in German asHungerbrunnen( "hunger springs" ), since folklore claimed a connection between the flow rate of a spring and poor crop yield in a wet year. This appears to be more of a culturally-relatedsuperstition,as scientific studies on variousHungerbrunnenhave not confirmed such a relationship. An example is theHungerbrunnenin the parish of Heuchlingen nearGerstetten.^[6]

The properties of karst springs make them unsuitable for the supply ofdrinking water.Their uneven flow rate does not support a steady rate of consumption, especially in summer when there is lower discharge but higher demand. In addition, poor filtering and highhardnessmean that the water quality is poor.^[7]

Cultural references

The FrenchRealistpainterGustave Courbet(1819–1877) painted a number of karst springs among many landscapes he depicted in theJuraregion of eastern France.^[8]

Gallery

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse,karst spring of theSorgue,characterised by an upward movement of water from the depth of over 315 metres (1,033 ft)
A submarine karst spring (vrulja), observed through sea surface rippling nearOmiš
Rhumequelle (Rhume Spring),source of theRhume,inHerzberg am Harz-Rhumasprung (de)right next toRhumspringe
Maramec Springin theOzarks,Missouri
"Witch's Well"karst spring inTuhala,Estonia
The Mshentsy spring, Bologovsky district, Tver region, Russia

References

^Rogulj, Daniela (2016-10-04)."Drone footage of the Cetina like you have never seen before".Total Croatia News.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-10-08.
^Whittow, John (1984).Dictionary of Physical Geography.London: Penguin, 1984, p. 291.ISBN 0-14-051094-X.
^Ford, Derek; Williams, Paul D. (2013).Karst Hydrogeology and Geomorphology.John Wiley & Sons.ISBN 9781118684993.
^^a ^b ^cElmer LaMoreaux, Philip (2001)."Geologic/Hydrogeologic Setting and Classification of Springs".Springs and Bottled Waters of the World: Ancient History, Source, Occurrence, Quality and Use.Springer. p. 57.ISBN 978-3-540-61841-6.
^"Geopark Schwäbische Alb".www.geopark-alb.de.
^"Karst Features of Germany: Hungerbrunnen".showcaves.com.
^LaMoreaux, Phillip (2012).Springs and Bottled Waters of the World.US: Springer. pp. 56, 57, 58.ISBN 978-3540618416.
^Fumey, Gilles (2007). "Courbet, peintre du calcaire".Karstologia: Revue de Karstologie et de Spéléologie Physique(in French).50:49–51.doi:10.3406/karst.2007.2611.

External links

Karst springs in Germany(in German)
The Hungerbrunnen in the Leinleiter valley(in German)

[1] Rogulj, Daniela (2016-10-04)."Drone footage of the Cetina like you have never seen before".Total Croatia News.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-10-08.

[2] Whittow, John (1984).Dictionary of Physical Geography.London: Penguin, 1984, p. 291.ISBN 0-14-051094-X.

[Ford2013-3] Ford, Derek; Williams, Paul D. (2013).Karst Hydrogeology and Geomorphology.John Wiley & Sons.ISBN 9781118684993.

[LaMoreaux2001-4] Elmer LaMoreaux, Philip (2001)."Geologic/Hydrogeologic Setting and Classification of Springs".Springs and Bottled Waters of the World: Ancient History, Source, Occurrence, Quality and Use.Springer. p. 57.ISBN 978-3-540-61841-6.

[5] "Geopark Schwäbische Alb".www.geopark-alb.de.

[6] "Karst Features of Germany: Hungerbrunnen".showcaves.com.

[7] LaMoreaux, Phillip (2012).Springs and Bottled Waters of the World.US: Springer. pp. 56, 57, 58.ISBN 978-3540618416.

[Fumey-8] Fumey, Gilles (2007). "Courbet, peintre du calcaire".Karstologia: Revue de Karstologie et de Spéléologie Physique(in French).50:49–51.doi:10.3406/karst.2007.2611.

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