ON THE EVOLUTION OF KARST CAVES IN THE CONDITIONS OF PLATFORM KARST (ZEMO IMERETI PLATEAU CASE STUDY; GEORGIA)

Abstract

The actual materials obtained as a result of our studies carried out during years in the ZemoImereti Plateau, namely, the morphological analysis of karst caves, hydrological-hydrogeological studies, results of tracing (indicator tests) of underground waters, borehole data and others, allow us to prove that the influence of phreatic, vadose and dry epochs has been reflected in the evolution of caves. An important part of karst caves has undergone the phreatic stage of development, though nowadays the traces of pressured flows in most cases have been erased by impact of vadose waters and other processes (corrosion, destruction, formation of speleothems, etc.). It is being also identified that the process of evolution of caves is not similar within the same karst massif that is related to the violation of the normal course of cave development by the influence of tectonic movements or other conditions.In the modern stage of development, the phreatic regime is well expressed in the Ghrudo underground basin, and the traces of both the vadose and dry epochs are well preserved in the higher located caves that went through the cycle of development. The periodic streams play an active role in the next stage of cave development, which, in turn, has been reflected in cyclical nature of sedimentation.