Karst Spring

A karst spring or karstic spring is a spring (exsurgence, outflow of groundwater) that is part of a karst hydrological system.

Karst Spring
A 130-metre (430 ft) deep karst spring of the Cetina River in Croatia
Buna Wellspring
The Vrelo Bune (English: Wellspring of the Buna) with the Blagaj Tekke under a limestone cliff in Bosnia
Karst Spring
Blautopf (Blue Pot), karst spring of the River Blau (River Blue) in Blaubeuren, Swabian Jura

Description

Because of their often conical or inverted bowl shape, karst springs are also known in German-speaking lands as a Topf ("pot") which is reflected in names such as Aachtopf (the source of the Radolfzeller Aach) or Blautopf (the source of the Blau river in Blaubeuren).

Karst springs often have a very high yield or discharge rate, because they are often fed by underground drainage from a large catchment 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 in Papua New Guinea, with others located in Mediterranean countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Turkey, Slovenia, and Italy.

Types

An estavelle or inversac is 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 of sinkhole.

A Vauclusian spring is a spring that originates from a shaft or a cave system, with the water surging upwards under relatively high pressure. It is named after the Fontaine de Vaucluse in southern France.

Submarine karst springs, also known as vruljas, occur worldwide, and are most numerous in shallow waters of the Mediterranean Sea. They can be considered to be karst springs which have become submerged by rising sea levels.

For intermittent or rhythmic springs see below. They are part of another type of classification, which differentiates between perennial (with continuous flow), rhythmic, and temporary springs.[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.

Many karst springs dry up during the driest part of the year, and are thus known as intermittent springs.[dubious ] 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 as Hungerbrunnen ("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-related superstition, as scientific studies on various Hungerbrunnen have not confirmed such a relationship. An example is the Hungerbrunnen in the parish of Heuchlingen near Gerstetten.

The properties of karst springs make them unsuitable for the supply of drinking 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 high hardness mean that the water quality is poor.

Cultural references

The French Realist painter Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) painted a number of karst springs among many landscapes he depicted in the Jura region of eastern France.

See also

References

Tags:

Karst Spring DescriptionKarst Spring TypesKarst Spring Hydrological featuresKarst Spring Cultural referencesKarst Spring GalleryKarst SpringGroundwaterKarstSpring (hydrology)

🔥 Trending searches on Wiki English:

Lobar pneumoniaOutlook.comLondonMckenna GraceTruth SocialSteven SpielbergGeorgia (country)Florence PughSameer RizviNCAA Division I men's basketball tournamentWinona RyderRicky StanickyMaster X MasterSexual intercourseIllit (group)Rule 34Belgium national football teamPete RoseDune (novel)C (programming language)The Apothecary DiariesPhilippinesDenis VilleneuveInterstate 695 (Maryland)Philippe TroussierYellowstone (American TV series)World Wide WebKeanu ReevesCameron DiazOpinion polling for the next United Kingdom general electionCarlos Sainz Jr.Thierry HenryAssassination of Abraham Lincoln50 CentGareth SouthgateDrake (musician)Ben AffleckQueen of TearsKieffer MooreUnited KingdomDune (franchise)2024 Indian general election in West BengalBradley CooperHong KongPreity ZintaAndraya CarterLyle and Erik MenéndezWikipediaSolar eclipse of April 8, 2024BeetlejuiceNetherlandsMarch 2024 lunar eclipseAbraham OzlerKingdom of East AngliaNvidiaThe Bachelor (American season 28)Arnold SchwarzeneggerEkaterina AlexandrovaEpicanthic foldPASTEFJimmy CarterPrince (musician)Kung Fu Panda 4Anne WojcickiManchester United F.C.2024 United States presidential electionRavneet Singh BittuRomelu LukakuJennifer LawrenceCharles LeclercRiley KeoughTwitterMonkey Man (film)Shōgun (2024 miniseries)Michael JacksonEngland national football team🡆 More