Geology and geomorphology of azokh caves

Patricio Domínguez-Alonso, Enrique Aracil, Jose Angel Porres, Peter Andrews, Edward P. Lynch, John Murray

Research output: Chapter in Book or Conference Publication/ProceedingChapterpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Azokh Cave is located in the Lesser Caucasus and is hosted in Mesozoic limestone. It comprises a series of karstic cavities, chambers and passageways that interconnect to form a larger cave network, the trend of which appears to have been influenced by fracture patterns in the bedrock. The geomorphology of the currently accessible areas of the cave is presented, with many of its speleological features described in detail for the first time. Electrical resistivity tomography is used to examine variation in thickness of sediments infilling the inner chambers of the cave. This information, coupled with data relating to the surface topography of the cave infill, sheds light on patterns of sediment deposition within the cave system. It remains unclear whether the cave formed from epigenic or hypogenic speleological processes (or a combination of the two). This question is further hampered by the presence of a large bat population in the interior of the cave, the guano deposits of which have modified the inner galleries.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationVertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology
PublisherSpringer
Pages55-84
Number of pages30
Edition9783319249223
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Publication series

NameVertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology
Number9783319249223
ISSN (Print)1877-9077

Keywords

  • Electrical resistivity
  • Epigenic
  • Hypogenic
  • Karstic
  • Lesser Caucasus
  • Limestone

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