Geology, geography and global energy

Scientific and Technical Journal

Monitoring of karst failures in the region of Lake Baskunchak

2022. №1, pp. 117-124

Golovachev Ilya V. - РЎandidate of Sciences (Geography), Associate Professor, Astrakhan State University

The article gives a brief description of some karst sinkholes found and surveyed in the vicinity of Lake Baskunchak during the research expedition "Baskunchak-2022, autumn", organized by members of the speleology and karst section of the Astrakhan branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Sulfate karst in this area is due to the outcrop of ancient sedimentary rocks of the Late Paleozoic age, raised to the surface due to salt tectogenesis and constituting the upper part of the caprock of the salt-dome massif. The karst relief of the area is unstable and is characterized by activity. In the course of their evolution, vertical karst failures gradually develop into flattened karst sinkholes, usually characterized by a rounded shape and symmetry. Various natural and anthropogenic factors influence the development of sinkhole formation. The Baskunchak karst region is promising for further karstological research.

Key words: gypsum keprok, salt domes, sulphatic karst, collapsed sinkholes, karst failures, suffusion-karst sinkholes, karst relief, Lake Baskunchak

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