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PALEOKARST AND PALEOKARST GEOCHEMISTRY: CONCEPTS, CURRENT SITUATION AND PERSPECTlVES

LI Ding-long   

  1. Department of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Huainan Industrial Institute, Huainan 232001
  • Received:1999-06-20 Revised:1999-06-20 Online:1999-06-20 Published:1999-06-20

Abstract: Paleokarstic is referred to the karst formed in the geologic past.It includes the whole process of karst formation and evolution.The paleokarsts could be formed not only on the earth surface and at the near surface condition, but also under the burial environment. Differing from the modern karst, the paleokarsts were formed under the paleohydrogeological environment, and consequently, the basic objective of paleokarst studies is to restore the formation and evolution of the paleohydrogeological conditions and to ascertain the patterns and processes of the changing paleokarst system. The karstic rock system is referred to those rocks which were formed during the karstification and other related alteration processes. The karstic rock system is the only finger print of the paleokarstification as a process and the basis for paleockarst study. According to difference in forming mechanism, the karstic rocks can be subdivided into two groups: the karstic sedimentary rocks and the karstic alteration rocks. The karstic rocks have not only preserved the macro-and micro-features related to karstification environment, but also recorded the geochemical information of this environment. The paleokarst geochemistry is a subject which combines the paleokarstology and geochemistry. It is significantly different from the karst geochemistry.The latter puts emphasis on the hydrogeochemical studies, while the former centers the geochemical studies of the karst rocks. This paper reviews the current situation of the paleokarst studies, and advanced the concept of paleokarst geochemistry and its research methods. It is proposed that the major target of the paleokarst geochemistry is the karstic rocks. The major objective of the paleokarst geochemietry is to interpret and restore the environment paleokarst development. The research method of paleokarst geochemistry is to take the statistical analysis as its basis to combine the quantitative ana1ysis with qualitative, chiefly rely on the quantitative analysis, and to make comprehensive interpretation. Finally, the perspectives of the paleokarst geochemistry are also discussed.