Introductory editorial

• Sasa Milanovic ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Belgrade

     University of Belgrade

     Serbia

     
• Localización: Carbonates and Evaporites, ISSN 0891-2556, Vol. 34, Nº. 4, 2019, págs. 1865-1866
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • In order to understand the genesis of a carbonate (karst) aquifer from its initial stage to a fully developed karst system number of different methods have been developed over the last 50 years. Nevertheless, with the continued progress of new technologies developing, the groundwater genesis of the karst aquifer becoming more and more precisely defined. Still, more investigation, specific forums and scientific discussion as well as publications are necessary to improve the knowledge of groundwater genesis within carbonate aquifers, as a main step of karst groundwater protection and utilization. With increasing demands on water resources protection, water supply, urbanisation, construction of large dams, reservoirs, tunnels, railways, roads, mines, tailings and waste disposal structures also increase necessity for close co-operation of a wide spectrum of scientist in precise defining and modeling of groundwater genesis. Groundwater from carbonate aquifer as a rule have good physic-chemical characteristics, and inside of the carbonate rocks can accumulate a large quantities of groundwater, which are ideal for watersupply. On the other hand, they are characterized with high vulnerability to pollution, due to weak autopurification properties of the medium, and big variation in discharging. In order of properly using of karst natural resources, the good knowledge of the hydrogeological system genesis is necessary, meaning primarily on carbonate or evaporitic formation with well-developed dissolution porosity. In a case of defining of groundwater genesis of carbonat aquifer as well as protection, a large number of methodological approaches can be applied in order to define the recharge zone and connection between the underground and surface waters, the mean residence time, as well as groundwater interaction with the hostrock, which have influence on chemical composition and temperature regime of discharged water. This special thematic edition partly includes extended versions of the selected papers that will have been presented at the International Symposium KARST 2018, which deals with the above presented and discussed topics precisely through the works of a large number of world-renowned authors. A number of papers will be presented by invitation, and will directly refer to specific areas of karst exploration: hydrogeology, geomorphology, engineering geology, speleology, all relating to the sustainable use of karst waters as an essential natural resource. The papers will cover a wide range of recent scientific research that was carried out in karst terrains all over the world (China, USA, Canada, Russia, Iran, Peru, Turkey, Malaysia and many European countries).