Monitoring the Flood Pulses in the Epiphreatic Zone of Karst Aquifers: The Case of Reka River System, Karst Plateau, SW Slovenia

Abstract

The Reka river sinking into Škocjan caves (Škocjanske jame) is the main allogenic input into the aquifer of Classical Karst. So far the subsurface flow of the Reka river between Škocjan caves and the spring of Timava in Italy has been reached in five caves. Two were recently discovered in Slovenia. Continuous logging of water levels and temperatures in four of these caves was established in spring 2005. The paper presents and briefly discusses the first results obtained in three of them. The results are indicating a fast passage of a flood wave along a well developed conduit system.