Abstract
Based on the present simultaneous hydrometeorological data and the analysis of the actual materials obtained by our studies, we can suppose the fact of the occurrence of powerful underground floodings in the hydrodynamic system of the Tskaltubo Cave. The simultaneous records of the water levels (discharges) of the underground rivers and atmospheric precipitation show that there are importantly clear peaks in the hydrographs, when the diurnal sums of precipitations reach or exceed 50 mm in all observation points (in all surface catchment basins defined by us). Though, a long-term observation revealed that only 50 mm of precipitation diurnal sum is not enough for the formation of strong underground flooding in the cave hydrodynamic system; a rainy period of several days should precede such kind of precipitation so that the soil was well saturated with water. Only under these conditions is expected a powerful flooding. As the analysis of the dangerous flooding formation mechanism showed, what is important is not the abundance of diurnal precipitation and their intensity, but the combination of factors such as: the total amount and duration of precipitation of the predecessor period, precipitation amount during the flooding maximum development days and the coverage rate of the cave system’s surface water catchment area.
Highlights
A long-term observation revealed that only 50 mm of precipitation diurnal sum is not enough for the formation of strong underground flooding in the cave hydrodynamic system; a rainy period of several days should precede such kind of precipitation so that the soil was well saturated with water
The authors of this paper studied the Tskaltubo Cave System’s karst-speleological [2] [3] [4] [5], geomorphological-geological [6] [7] and hydrological-hydrogeological [8] [9] [10] [11] features, and the multi-annual hydrometeorological monitoring of the water catchment basin of the cave system was carried out
Regime stationary observations were conducted on the hydrometeorological elements of the major centers of the underground karst water discharges and within the water catchment basin of Tskaltubo Cave System since 1987
Summary
The authors of this paper studied the Tskaltubo Cave System’s karst-speleological [2] [3] [4] [5], geomorphological-geological [6] [7] and hydrological-hydrogeological [8] [9] [10] [11] features, and the multi-annual hydrometeorological monitoring of the water catchment basin of the cave system was carried out. It is noteworthy that there were several cases observed in the study area, when the water from the underground suddenly broke into the main corridor of the Tskaltubo Cave and resulted in the disastrous consequences. In this connection, it was necessary to study the karst-speleology and hydrometeorology of its catchment basin and predict natural disasters—floods
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