Karst spring
Encyclopedia
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
that is part of a karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
system. That includes the underground drainage of a much larger area, which means that karst springs often have a very large discharge
Discharge
Discharge in the context to expel or to "let go" may refer to:* A military discharge, issued when a member of the armed forces is released from service* Termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer...
. Because of their often conical or bowl shape, such water sources are also known in German-speaking lands as a Topf ("pot") which is reflected in names such as Aachtopf
Aachtopf
The Aachtopf is Germany's biggest natural spring, producing an average of 8,500 litres per second. Production varies seasonally and in response to the weather, but the spring never runs dry...
(the source of the Radolfzeller Aach
Radolfzeller Aach
The Radolfzeller Aach is a right or north tributary of the Rhine in the south of Baden-Württemberg .It is approximately 32 km long.- Course :...
) or Blautopf
Blautopf
The Blautopf is a spring that serves as the source of the river Blau in the karst landscape on the Swabian Alb's southern edge, in Southern Germany. It is located in the city of Blaubeuren, approximately west of Ulm...
(the source of the Blau river in Blaubeuren
Blaubeuren
Blaubeuren is a town in the district of Alb-Donau near Ulm in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.It has 11.963 inhabitants as of December 2007.-Coat of arms:...
).
Karst springs are usually the end of a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
system at the place where a river cave reaches the Earth's surface. Thus, it is often possible to enter the caves at karst spring and explore them.
In North Africa springs known as ain reach the surface as a result of an artesian basin and are of particular importance in arid regions. They can produce a flow of water directly or result in evaporitic saline crusts. Known examples are found in the oases of the Tunisian region of Bled el Djerid and in the entire area around the depression
Depression (geology)
A depression in geology is a landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area. Depressions may be formed by various mechanisms.Structural or tectonic related:...
s of Chott el Djerid
Chott el Djerid
Chott el Djerid , also spelt Shaţţ al Jarīd, Sciott Gerid, and Shott el Jerid, is a large endorheic salt lake in southern Tunisia.-Geography:The bottom of Chott el Djerid is located between 10 and 25 meters above sea level....
and Chott el Gharsa. Here, there are water-bearing strata, usually of sand or sandstone, that act as aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s in their function.
Examples
- AachtopfAachtopfThe Aachtopf is Germany's biggest natural spring, producing an average of 8,500 litres per second. Production varies seasonally and in response to the weather, but the spring never runs dry...
- BlautopfBlautopfThe Blautopf is a spring that serves as the source of the river Blau in the karst landscape on the Swabian Alb's southern edge, in Southern Germany. It is located in the city of Blaubeuren, approximately west of Ulm...
- Boka
- Brenztopf
- Ems Spring
- FilsFilsFils or FILS can mean*Fils , a river in Germany*Fils , a subdivision of currency used in many Arab countries*fils, the French word for "son"*Firestone Indy Lights Series...
ursprung - GailachGailachGailach is a river of Bavaria, Germany....
Spring - Jacob's Well, Wimberley, TexasJacob's Well (Texas)Jacob's Well is a significant karstic spring, the largest perennial spring in the Texas Hill Country. It flows from the most extensive underwater cave in Texas, opening in the bed of Cypress Creek, a few miles North of Wimberley, Texas...
- KocherKocherThe Kocher is a 168 km long right tributary of the Neckar in the north-eastern part of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The name "Kocher" originates from its Celtic name "cochan" and probably means winding, meandering river. The Kocher rises in the eastern foothills of the Swabian Alb from two karst...
ursprung - LippeLippeLippe is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld, which forms the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe....
Spring - LutterLutter-In Germany:*Lutter am Barenberge, in the Goslar district, Lower Saxony*Lutter am Barenberge , in the Goslar district, Lower Saxony*Lutter, Thuringia, in the Eichsfeld district, Thuringia...
Spring - PaderPaderPader may refer to:* Pader District, a district of Uganda* Pader, Uganda, capital of Pader District* Pader , a river in Germany* PADER, the Party for Democracy and Reconciliation* PaDER, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection...
Springs - PegnitzPegnitzPegnitz may refer to:* The Pegnitz in Germany* Pegnitz, a town in Germany...
Spring - Pießling-Ursprung
- RinRinRin can refer to:*The , an obsolete unit of Japanese currency equal to yen. Due to the drastic devaluation of Japanese money after World War II, the rin was eventually taken out of circulation at the end of 1953...
Spring near the Walensee, Schweiz - Rhume SpringRhume SpringThe Rhume Spring is a large karst spring in the eastern part of the Rotenberg ridge not far from the northeastern edge of the village of Rhumspringe in the Harz mountains of Germany. It is the source of the River Rhume.- External links :...
- Siebenbrünnen
- Sorgue bei Fontaine-de-VaucluseFontaine-de-VaucluseFontaine-de-Vaucluse is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Heraldry:...
- Syri i Kaltër