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Dwejra and Maqluba: Emblematic Sinkholes in the Maltese Islands

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Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands

Part of the book series: World Geomorphological Landscapes ((WGLC))

Abstract

The Maltese Islands present interesting and varied karst landforms concentrated in a small land area. Sinkholes or dolines are no exception with over 50 structures being recorded in Malta and Gozo. Their formation is generally the result of subsidence , collapse or dissolution of the limestone or a combination of more than one factor. Il-Maqluba , a Quaternary collapse sinkhole, is the most spectacular on mainland Malta displaying sheer vertical walls extending for about 30 m. Il-Qawra sinkhole, of Miocene origin, forms part of a cluster of four large sinkholes located along the western coast of Gozo, Malta’s sister island. With a diameter of over 350 m and characterised by interesting geology and geomorphology, its formation is still a matter of debate.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The English translation for this name is ‘The Storm Street’.

  2. 2.

    This is the highest level of protection afforded to any site. The scale ranges from 1 to 4.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Malta, Tal-Qroqq, Msida, MSD 2080, Malta

    Ivan Calleja

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy

    Chiara Tonelli

Authors
  1. Ivan Calleja
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  2. Chiara Tonelli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ivan Calleja .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Ritienne Gauci

  2. Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    John A. Schembri

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Calleja, I., Tonelli, C. (2019). Dwejra and Maqluba: Emblematic Sinkholes in the Maltese Islands. In: Gauci, R., Schembri, J. (eds) Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15456-1_11

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