Actualistic approaches to the systematics and facies relations of clastic karst deposits

Abstract

Clastic karst deposits occur at different positions within karst areas, whereas surface karst deposits, sediments of the crack filling facies, the cave entrance facies and the inner cave facies have to be distinguished. The karstification itself is of minor importance for the formation of clastic deposits. Except for incasional debris and impure limestones or marls the contribution of carbonate rocks to clastic karst deposits is low. The majority of clastic material is allogenic and siliciclastic. Regarding the depositional processes cave sediments can be divided into fluvial cave deposits, gravitative or percolative deposits, decomposition deposits and rock breakdown. An actualistic approach could be a useful tool for the identification of fluvial cave deposits. By means of the depositional features of recent cave sediments and classical sedimentological features cave deposits of unknown origin can be classified. © 2010 Lavoisier SAS. All rights reserved.