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Gypsum Karst in the Southwest Outskirts of the Eastern European Platform (Western Ukraine): A Type Region of Artesian Transverse Speleogenesis

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Hypogene Karst Regions and Caves of the World

Part of the book series: Cave and Karst Systems of the World ((CAKASYWO))

Abstract

The gypsum karst in the Western Ukraine occurs in the southwestern outskirt of the Eastern European Craton and is a model example of evolution of intrastratal karst and of artesian transverse speleogenesis in this lithology. Speleogenesis commenced in the regionally extensive confined Miocene aquifer system, in which the Middle Miocene (Badenian) gypsum bed is sandwiched between two “normal” aquifers with diffused permeability. Speleogenesis developed due to ascending leakage across the gypsum induced by valleys incising into the upper confining sequence. Large gypsum caves in the region (including the five longest gypsum caves in the world) are generally stratiform multi-story mazes of passages developed along vertical and steeply inclined fissures. Cave patterns in plan and the cross section are variable depending on fracture stratigraphy, patterns and connectivity, areal distribution of recharge (at the lower contact) and discharge (at the upper contact) points, and local hydrodynamic conditions and history. Patterns and meso-morphology of the caves clearly demonstrate functional organization that evolved in response to ascending hydraulic communication between the aquifers in the Miocene aquifer system, reflecting the complex pattern of transverse flow across the gypsum. This study demonstrates that artesian transverse speleogenesis is of fundamental importance to groundwater circulation in the region-wide Miocene aquifer system. It has important implications for regional and site-specific hydrogeology, the origin of large bioepigenetic sulfur deposits, and assessment of collapse/subsidence hazard. The style and principal characteristics of the large maze caves in the gypsum karst in the Western Ukraine are not specific to dissolution of sulfate rocks but exemplify general regularities of artesian transverse speleogenesis that are applicable to other lithologies including carbonates.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to cavers from many speleological clubs of Ukraine for their support of our field studies through many years. We thank speleological clubs “Kristal” (Chortkiv), “Podillia” (Ternopil) and “Troglodit” (Chernivtsy), and particularly B. Maksimov, S. Kriven, and P. Kuprich for cave maps they provided. E. Naumenko, Yu. Zarembovsky, and V. Apostolyuk are thanked for providing some photographs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 55-b Gonchara Str., 01054, Kiev, Ukraine

    Alexander Klimchouk

  2. Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education, Biala Podlaska, Poland

    Viacheslav Andreychouk

Authors
  1. Alexander Klimchouk
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  2. Viacheslav Andreychouk
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Correspondence to Alexander Klimchouk .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrogeological Problems, Institute of Geological Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine

    Alexander Klimchouk

  2. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Oneonta, New York, USA

    Arthur N. Palmer

  3. Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Universita di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Jo De Waele

  4. Instituto do Carste, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Augusto S. Auler

  5. University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

    Philippe Audra

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Klimchouk, A., Andreychouk, V. (2017). Gypsum Karst in the Southwest Outskirts of the Eastern European Platform (Western Ukraine): A Type Region of Artesian Transverse Speleogenesis. In: Klimchouk, A., N. Palmer, A., De Waele, J., S. Auler, A., Audra, P. (eds) Hypogene Karst Regions and Caves of the World. Cave and Karst Systems of the World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53348-3_23

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