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Eurokarst 2018, Besançon pp 61–68Cite as

The Shallow Subsurface of Karst Systems: Review and Directions

Part of the Advances in Karst Science book series (AKS)

Abstract

The shallow subsurface of karst systems (soil and epikarst) plays an important role in karst recharge processes. However, only a little research that directly characterized this zone has been conducted. In this paper, we review previous studies that focus on the soil and epikarst recharge processes, in particular on diffuse recharge processes. The literature is categorized by processes, methods and controlling factors, summarized in an overview table, and discussed in detail. Finally, new directions to advance research toward a better understanding of the hydrological dynamics in the karstic shallow subsurface are derived.

Keywords

  • Soil
  • Epikarst
  • Recharge processes
  • Review

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Fig. 1

modified from Williams (1983)—P = Precipitation; AET = Actual Evapotranspiration

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Emmy Noether-Programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG; grant number HA 8113/1-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chair of Hydrological Modeling and Water Resources, Freiburg University, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

    Romane Berthelin & Andreas Hartmann

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    Andreas Hartmann

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  1. Romane Berthelin
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  2. Andreas Hartmann
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Correspondence to Romane Berthelin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France

    Prof. Catherine Bertrand

  2. Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France

    Sophie Denimal

  3. Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France

    Marc Steinmann

  4. Centre d’Hydrogéologie, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Philippe Renard

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Berthelin, R., Hartmann, A. (2020). The Shallow Subsurface of Karst Systems: Review and Directions. In: Bertrand, C., Denimal, S., Steinmann, M., Renard, P. (eds) Eurokarst 2018, Besançon. Advances in Karst Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14015-1_7

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