Types of karst and evolution of hydrogeologic setting

This book is a pioneer attempt by an international group of cavescientists to summarize modern knowledge about the cave originsin various settings, to examine the variety of approaches that havebeen adopted, and to outline the role of speleogenesis in theevolution of karst aquifers. Selected contributions from 44 authorsin 15 nations are combined in an integrated volume. These wereprepared between 1994 and 1998 as an initiative of the Commis-sion of Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis, InternationalSpeleological Union.Despite a desire to produce an integrated book—rather than amere collection of papers—the editors’ policy has not beendirected toward unifying all views. Along with some well-estab-lished theories and approaches, the book contains new conceptsand ideas emerging in recent years. We hope this approach willstimulate further development and exchange of ideas in cavestudies and karst hydrogeology