Kataleh-khor karstic Cave in Zanjan Province (Iran), Hydrogeology and mapping

Kataleh-Khor is a karstic cave which formed in Zanjan Province, Iran in 48ْ 09’ 39ْ 39” E longitude and 35ْ 50’ 00” N latitude. This cave has a simple maze anastomatic pattern. Stories are formed at various levels by the lowering water level which after that stabilize for a long time. Thereafter, new passages are formed in new levels which shows the formation of this at multiphases. The main conduit in the cave has low slope transected by some shafts, specially a shaft in the bottom Mehrdad talar. Elliptical, rextangular and T-shaped cross sections of the main passage, shows the cave is formed in saturation condition. After that, due to falling of water table, chanalized conditions formed and then buoyancy forces werer lost, causes to collapse of rock blocks from roofs and the shaping of talars and Domes. Water mixing and corrosion in the direction of fractures shape the garland passage. Hydrogeological parameter such as recession coefficients at the surrounding springs, shows low karstification in the aquifer around, but surface geomorphological phenomena (cave and shafts and big tallars), shows the high degree development of subsurface karst.

Keywords:

Karst , Cave , Passages , Channel , Karst Spring , Talars , garland , Kataleh-khor