The use of karst geomorphology for planning hazard avoidance….pdfVIP

The use of karst geomorphology for planning, hazard avoidance and development in Great Britain. By Anthony H. Cooper*, Andrew R. Farrant and Simon J. Price British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, NG12 5GG. *Corresponding author. Tel: +44 115 9363393; fax +44 115 9363385 E-mail addresses: ahc@bgs.ac.uk (A.H.Cooper), arf@bgs.ac.uk (A.R.Farrant). sprice@bgs.ac.uk (S.J.Price) Manuscript copy of paper published in Geomorphology Vol 134, pp 118-131, 2011. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.06.004 Please respect copyright and please consult the and quote the published version for the definitive paper which has minor changes from this manuscipt. ABSTRACT Within Great Britain five main types of karstic rocks - dolomite, limestone, chalk, gypsum and salt - are present. Each presents a different type and severity of karstic geohazard which are related to the rock solubility and geological setting. Typical karstic features associated with these rocks have been databased by the British Geological Survey (BGS) with records of sinkholes, cave entrances, stream sinks, resurgences and building damage; data for more than half of the country has been gathered. BGS has manipulated digital map data, for bedrock and superficial deposits, with digital elevation slope models, superficial deposit thickness models, the karst data and expertly interpreted areas, to generate a derived dataset assessing the likelihood of subsidence due to karst collapse. This dataset is informed and verified by the karst database and marketed as part of the BGS GeoSure suite. It is currently used by environmental regulators, the insurance and construction industries, and the BGS semi-automated enquiry system. The database and derived datasets can be further combined and manipulated using GIS to provide other datasets that deal with specific problems. Sustainable drainage systems, some of which use soak-aways into the ground, are being encouraged in Great Britain, but in karst area