Features of the karst water regime in the Skelskaya Cave (Ai-Petry massif, the Mountain Crimea) and their hydrogeological interpretation

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Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of long-term (2012–2023) monitoring data of hydrological (levels) and physico-chemical (temperature, specific electrical conductivity) characteristics of karst waters in the Skelskaya Cave. Parallel observations in opposite parts of the cave (Western and Eastern lakes) revealed synchronous fluctuations of levels, but different dynamics of temperature, specific conductivity and isotopic composition of waters. Differences in physico-chemical parameters are particularly strong during flood events, indicating that two streams of karst water from different catchment areas flow into the cave. The Karadagsky and Tarpanbairsky feeding areas, occupying different elevations and directing their waters along the Karadagsky fault toward the Western and Eastern lakes of the cave, respectively, were identified. Comparison of water level fluctuations in the cave with the dynamic of the Skelsky spring discharge, as well as physicochemical and isotopic characteristics during floods, allowed us to establish a confident connection between them. Thus, the Skelsky spring is the main discharge point (drain) of the Skelskaya cave karst aquifer system.

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About the authors

S. V. Tokarev

V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University; Water Problems Institute

Author for correspondence.
Email: tokcrimea@list.ru
Russian Federation, Simferopol, 295007; Moscow, 119333

G. N. Amelichev

V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University; Water Problems Institute

Email: tokcrimea@list.ru
Russian Federation, Simferopol, 295007; Moscow, 119333

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Location, morphology and geological conditions of Skelskaya Cave: a – orohydrographic conditions of the area where the study object is located (1 – small springs, 2 – large karst springs, watercourses: 3 – temporary, 4 – permanent, 5 – boundaries of karst subregions: I – West Aipetri, II – Central Aipetri, III – East Aipetri); b – plan and section of Skelskaya Cave (based on [5]); c – schematic geological structure of the Skelskaya Cave area (rocks: 1 – Upper Jurassic limestones, 2 – Lower Cretaceous clays; 3 – main peaks; 4 – tectonic faults; 5 – karst cavities (E – Entuziastov, K – Kirillovskaya, M – Maksimovich); 6 – permanent and temporary sources; 7 – directions of underground runoff; 8 – elements of rock bedding).

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3. Fig. 2. Characteristics of the hydrological regime of karst waters in the Skelskaya Cave for 2013–2023: a – distribution of flood events of varying intensity (rises in the level of karst waters of varying heights) by months; b – intra-annual dynamics of average ten-day levels of karst groundwater and average monthly precipitation amounts by m/s Ai-Petri; c – raster diagram of average ten-day levels of karst waters for the observation period (empty cells correspond to breaks in observations). The boundaries of the hydrological year are taken from October of the previous calendar year to September of the specified year.

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4. Fig. 3. Dynamics of the main hydrological and hydrochemical parameters of karst waters in the Western Lake of the Skelskaya Cave (a) and the course of precipitation and temperature in m/s of Ai-Petri (b) for the period from October 2012 to February 2015.

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5. Fig. 4. Dynamics of the main hydrological (level) and physicochemical (temperature, direct electrical conductivity) parameters of karst waters in the Western Lake of the Skelskaya Cave (upper diagram) and the course of precipitation and temperature in m/s of Ai-Petri (lower diagram) during January and February 2014.

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6. Fig. 5. Records of a parallel series of hydrological and hydrochemical observations in the Western and Eastern lakes of the Skelskaya Cave for the winter-spring period of 2021–2022. The upper diagram shows a series of temperature and precipitation in m/s of Ai-Petri. The middle diagram shows fluctuations in the specific electrical conductivity of waters in the lakes against the background of general level fluctuations. The lower diagram shows fluctuations in water temperature in the lakes.

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7. Fig. 6. Dynamics of δ18O content in the lakes of the Skelskaya Cave and other large water sources (Skelsky and Ognenny Griffin springs, Uzundzha River) in its vicinity during the flood in February 2018.

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8. Fig. 7. Scheme of underground karst runoff of the Skelskaya Cave and the Skelsky Spring. Stratigraphic stages: 1 - Novobobrovskaya strata (clays), 2 - Baydarskaya suite (limestones), 3 - Deymenderinskaya suite (clays, limestones), 4 - Bedenekyrskaya suite (limestones), 5 - Yalta suite (limestones), 6 - Yaylinskaya suite (limestones), 7 - Ayvasil suite (sandstones, clays), 8 - Melas suite (sandstones, siltstones, argillites), 9 - Karadag suite (lavas), 10 - Tauride series (sandstones, siltstones, argillites). Other designations: 11 - small springs; 12 - large karst springs; karst cavities: 13 – large (Sk – Skelskaya, KM – Kristallnaya-Maksimovicha, Chr – Chernaya), 14 – significant (En – Entuziastov), ​​15 – small (K – Kirillovskaya); 16 – supposed boundaries of the catchment area of ​​the Skelskaya Cave KVS, 17 – isolines of the density of karst sinkholes (units/km²), 18 – tectonic faults, 19 – supposed directions of underground karst runoff, 20 – the same during floods.

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9. Fig. 8. Diagrams showing the relationship between the flow rate of the Skelsky spring (along the GP on the Chernaya River) and the levels of karst waters in the Skelskaya cave: a – dynamics of average daily flow rates at the GP of the Chernaya River (1) and levels in the Skelskaya cave (2) for 2014–2015; b – relationship between average daily flow rates Q (m³/s) of the Chernaya River and water levels H (m) in the Skelskaya cave.

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