Karst Corrosion and Erosion in Some Areas of Gunung Mulu National Park (Sarawak, Northern Borneo): New Data and Comparision with Lessini Mountains, Veneto, Italy

Abstract

New insight on karst corrosion conducted in Gunung Mulu National Park (Sarawak, Borneo) and started in 2019 are presented. Mulu Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 and one of the most studied karst areas in the world.
 Dissolution represents an important factor for speleogenesis and can be measured by monitoring the weight variation over time of limestone tablets exposed in underground and outdoor environments. We describe new monitoring results and compare them with the existing ones present in literature and with a study carried out in Italy (Lessini Mountains).
 The study conducted in Borneo was authorized by the Sarawak Forest Corporation (Permit SFC.810-4/6/1 (2023) 005 and Park permit No. WL 03/2023). Rock tablets were used to calculate the dissolution rate, collecting this type of “data loggers” after 3 years, due to the difficulties that arose during the Covid pandemic.
 The results of this monitoring partially confirm those collected in 2020. Some rock tablets have undergone both a reduction in weight due to dissolution and erosion by water, and the deposition of calcareous incrustations without increasing in weight. The new corrosion data have been compared with some values of chemical parameters of the water, as well as with those existing in the literature. This study increasing the existing data on karst corrosion in the Mulu area, which date back to the late 70s-early 80s of the last century.