Abstract
A study of pollution transport from the surface through 100 m of Upper Cretaceous limestone into the underlying Postojnska Jama found the highest pollution in three seeps. Flushing of nitrates and chlorides continued for 11 years after source removal, while sulphates and phosphates continued even longer. A tracing test from the surface with uranin dye and added water in the dry season caused a rapid reaction in the most conductive seep. Expulsion of the remaining dye (forced by precipitation) occurred with a delay of up to 3 months. Dye injected during the wet season was transported only by precipitation and appeared in the cave within 21–43 h. The best connection between the surface and the cave exists along a subvertical tectonically fissured zone to a broken zone (80–90/90). Percolation through a less permeable trickle is limited to the tectonically broken zone 70/90. Percolation through dripping follows the subvertical fissured to broken zones and the dip direction of bedding planes.
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Acknowledgements
The authors want to thank F. Drole, J. Hajna and M. Zadel, all from the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU Postojna Slovenia, for their help during the research. The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia financially supported the study. We are grateful for the reviewers’ comments and we thank Ira D. Sasowsky and Maja Kranjc for editing the English text.
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Kogovšek, J., Šebela, S. Water tracing through the vadose zone above Postojnska Jama, Slovenia. Env Geol 45, 992–1001 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0958-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0958-z