Geologica Belgica

This special issue of Geologica Belgica consists of a series of papers presented at the Symposium "Karst and Tectonics", held at the cave site of Han-sur-Lesse, Belgium in March 1998. A first group of 13 papers were presented in the volume 12 (3-4) of Geodinamica Acta in 1999 and 6 other papers were published in other issues of the latter journal. Finally, 3 papers will be published in a forthcoming issue of Geologica Belgica. The final compilation of titles is provided in the following pages of this issue.

The Han-sur-Lesse conference brought together approximately one hundred researchers from Belgium, Canada, Czechia, France, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland to exchange their findings on interaction between karst and tectonics.

Scientists have long accepted that karst is controlled by the Davis concept with carbonate sedimentation and diagenesis, uplift, river erosion and karstification. Some pioneer studies, like Renault (1968), demonstrate that mechanical aspects are very important for karstogenesis. Moreover, research on old karstic networks and palaeokarst has clearly shown that karstification is the result of tectonics. No dynamic constraints, no karst !

With the progress of geochronology, it has been established that many karstic systems are older than had been thought. Karstification is an important part of the continental geological evolution of a region, and not simply a superposition. Karstification and tectonics have a parallel history. Thus, one can determine causal relations over time. Characteristic time-scales are of the same order of magnitude: one hundred thousand to one million years. During the evolution of a karstic network, it is not just the simple transition from a young stage to a senile stage in terms of topography: mountains continue to uplift, rocks fracture, earthquakes take place, climates change. In this sense, karst becomes a tectonic marker. Moreover, caves are very good recorders of geological phenomena. Tectonic events such as strike-slip faults or earth­quakes modify the endokarstic morphology and the fillings. Earthquakes can break, knock down or displace speleothems. The geometry of these modifications provides data for seismo-tectonic studies. The use of the uranium series disequilib­rium method applied to the modified speleothems enables dating of seismo-tectonic events in the Middle and Upper Pleistocene. Some examples taken in endokarst show that, in regions which are considered as "tectonically and seismically quiet" like Belgium, tectonic constraints and earthquakes have existed in very recent times.

The meeting "Han 98 - Karst and Tectonics" has developed these an even-sided view of the relationship between karstic and seismo-tectonic phenomena. Tectonicians realise that karst is a good recorder of continental deformation in terms of brittle structures and seismic features. Karstologists have to admit that tectonics not only constrains the main directions of a karst network, but also induces mechanical limits to the karst expansion.

Renault P., 1968 - Contribution à l'étude des actions mécaniques et sédimentologiques dans la spéléogénèse. Ann.Spéléoi, 23, 1 : 259-596.

Articles published in Geodinamica Acta "HAN 98" Volume 12 n°3-4,1999

BENKOVICS L., OBERT D., BERGERAT F., MANS Y J.L., DUBOIS M. Brittle tectonics and major dextral strike-slip zone in the Budakarst (Budapest, Hungary), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 201-211. BOINET N. Exploitation de la fracturation d'un massif par la karstification. Exemple du Causse de 1'Hortus (Hérault-France) , Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 237-247.

BONNET Th., COLBEAUX J.R L'analyse morphologique spatialisée : apports d'une méthode à la détection des acci­dents, une nécessité dans l'approche hydrodynamique et karstologique des aquifères fissurés. Exemples dans le Nord de la France crayeux , Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol. 12, numéro 3/4, pp. 223-235.

CRISPIM J. A. Seismotectonic versus man-induced morphological changes in a cave on the Arrabida chain (Portugal), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 135-142.

DEVOS A., JAILLET S., GAMEZ P. Structures tectoniques et contraintes de cheminement des eaux dans les aquifères karstiques du Barrais (Lorraine/Champagne - France), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 249-257. FENART P., CAT N.N., DROGUE C, CANH D.V, PISTRE S. Influence of tectonics and neotectonics on the morpho­genesis of the peak karst of Halong Bay, Vietnam, Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 193-200. GILLI E. Evidence of palaeoseismicity in a flowstone of the Observatoire cave (Monaco), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 159-168.

GILLI E., DELANGE P. Recent, slow and aseisic movement of an overthrust observed in the Abel sink hole (Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, Alpes-Maritimes, France), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol. 12, numéro 3/4, pp. 169-177. GILLI E., LEVRET A., SOLLOGOUB P., DELANGE P. Research on the February 18, 1996 earthquake in the caves of Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet area (earstern Pyrenees, France)., Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 143-158. LEMEILLE F, CUSHING M., CARBON D., GRELLET B., BITTERLI T, FLEHOC C. Co-seismic ruptures and deformations recorded by speleothems in the epicentral zone of the Basel earthquake , Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol. 12, numéro 3/4, pp. 179-191.

QUINIFY. Karst et évolution des rivières : le cas de l'Ardenne., Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 267-277. RODET J. Le réseau de fracturation, facteur initial de la karstification des craies dans les collines du Perche : l'exemple du site de la Mansionnière (Bellou-sur-Huisne, Orne, France), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 259-265. THERY J.M., PUBELLIER M., THERY B., BUTTERLIN J., BLONDEAU, ADAMS Middle Eocene to Pleistocene example of the Lina Mountains (Irian Jaya, Indonesia), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 3/4, pp. 213-221.

Articles published in Geodinamica Acta Volume 12 n°12,1999

BRACQ P., BRUNIN S. Approche des relations tectonique-karst-hydrodynamismc par l'analyse de traçages réalisés

dans l'aquifère crayeux du Boulonnais (Escalles, Nord de la France), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol.12, numéro 6, pp.

359-370

HAUSELMANN Ph., JEANNIN P. Y, BITTERLI T. Relationships between karst and tectonics: case-study of the cave

system north of Lake Thun (Bern, Switzerland), Geodinamica Acta, 1999, Vol. 12, numéro 6, pp. 377-387

PEREIRA E., ROUZAUD F, SALOTTIM., DUBOIS I.N., FERRANDINI J., OTTAVIANI-SPELLA. Castiglione (Oletta,

Corsica) : relationships between phenomena of calcification and tectonic fossiliferous fracture dating, Geodinamica

Acta, 1999, vol. 12, numéro 6, pp. 371-375

Articles published in Geodinamica Acta Volume 13 n°5, 2000

ASTRUC J.G, ESCARGUEL G, MARANDAT B., SIMON-COINCON R. Floor-age constraining of a tectonic parox­ysm of the Pyrenean orogen. Late Middle Eocene mammal age of a faulted karstic filling of the Quercy phosphorites, south-western France, Geodinamica Acta, 2000, vol. 13, numéro 5, pp. 271-280

TOGNINI P. Role of slumped beds in the genesis and evolution of huge hypogean rooms: an example in the Valle del Nose (Como, Northern Italy), Geodinamica Acta, 2000, vol.13, numéro 5, pp. 335-343

Articles published in Bull. Centre Rech. Elf Explo. Prod, 2000

MONTENAT C, SOUDET H., BARRIER P., CHEREAU A. Karstification and tectonic evolution of the Jabal Madar (Adam foothills, Arabian Platform) during the Upper Cretaceous. Bull. Centre Rech. Elf Explo. Prod., 22, 2, 161-190.

Articles in preparation

BODIN J.& HOBLEA, F. - Macrofracturation et direction des galeries spéléologiques ; cas du Mont Granier (Char­treuse, France) traité par le longiciel LINEAM.

DELANGE, P. - Traces of palaeoearthquake dated from Middle Pleistocene in the Tevaresse (Rognes, Bouches du Rhône, France) by broken stalactites study in Ribière Cave. VERGARI, A. - Un outil performant dans la quantification du karst : leliën tectonique-karstification.

This volume

FORTI, P. Seismotectonic and paleosesmic studies from speleothems : the state of the art

BRUXELLES, L.: GENDON, J.-L., & QUINIF, Y. - Evidence of palaeoseismicity in the karstic cavities of the Grands Causses : as exemplified in the Aven de la Portalerie (Larzac, Aveyron)

TOGNINI, P. & BINI, A. - Effects of the structural setting on endokarst system geometry in the Valle del Nosê (Como lake, northern Italy)

KLARICA, S. ; HERVOUET, Y. & BAUER, J. - Karst et extensions gravitaires d'altitude : le massif du Jaout (Pyrenees occidentales, France)

DUBOIS, Y - Relations entre la fracturation, l'organisation des écoulements et la morphologie des conduits, à Mont Godinne (Belgique)

CUCCHI, F; MARINETTI, E.; POTLECA, M. & ZINI, L. - Influence of geostructural conditions on the speleogenesis of Trieste karst (Italy).

VIETTI BITENCOURT, A.-L. & RODET, J. - Premiers éléments d'évolution karstique sous contrôle tectonique d'un massif calcaire : la Serra do Ramalho (Bahia, Brésil)

MANIA, J.; MUDRY, J.; BROQUET, P.; CHAUVE, P.; WACOGNE, R. & DELHOMEL, A. - Investigations and map­ping of karstic risks of a complicated tectonical zone of the avant-monts of north-west Jura (France)