Tropical karst and chemical denudation of the Western Cuba

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Publication Date

1-1-1992

Publication Title

Geographia Polonica

Volume Number

60

Abstract

The results of geomorphological and hydrological investigations, carried out in the Western Cuba, have been presented. The investigations were carried out in the catchment basin Cuyaguateje located in the Sierra de los Organos and two small subterranean catchment basins in the massif Pan de Guajaibon in the Sierra del Rosario. The differences between ways of water circulation in a well developed upland karst region (Cuyaguateje) and in a well isolated limestone massif (Pan de Guajaibon) have been shown. The former is dominated by an underground transit water flow through mogot type hills, the latter is dominated by a local circulation of waters in the subterranean basin discharged by a central conduit. According to several years of investigations, elements of the hydrological balance, changes in chemical composition have been determined and values of chemical denudation have been calculated. Large amounts of underground waters have been emphasized. They result from the intensity of the rainfall, and from fast retention of rain waters in a karst massif. It causes an intensive process of chemical denudation, which reaches in mean perennial values, 90 m3/ km2/Y. Such results are representative for tropical karst and they have been compared with chemical denudation values in karst regions in other climatic zones.

Document Type

Article

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