Overview
- Presents up-to-date, comprehensive coverage of Australian karst areas
- Provides broad overviews on related topics (cave biology and cave fossils)
- Emphasises the unique aspects of the Australian karst
Part of the book series: Cave and Karst Systems of the World (CAKASYWO)
Access this book
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
Table of contents (23 chapters)
-
People and Caves in Australia
-
‘Hard’ Rock Karst Developed in Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic Carbonates
-
‘Soft’ Rock Karst Developed in Tertiary and Quaternary Limestones
Keywords
About this book
This book, part of the series Cave and Karst Systems of the World, begins with a review of the interaction between people and caves in Australia (including conservation), followed by descriptions of the spectacular cave diving sites, before comprehensively covering all the major carbonate and noncarbonate karst areas, subdivided by rock type and region, and including the origin of the caves. This is followed by broad overviews of cave minerals and speleothems, cave biology and cave fossils. Each section was written by one or more specialists in the topic and is illustrated by clear diagrams and superb colour photos. The book emphasises the unique aspects of the Australian karst, including the variability in the age of the caves (very old to very young) and the impact of isolation on the stygofauna, as well as the vertebrate fossils preserved in the caves. Written in an easy-to-read style, the book is a primary reference guide to Australian karst and represents a valuable asset for anyone interested in the topic, not only cavers and academics.
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Susan Q. White is akarst geomorphologist at La Trobe University Melbourne. She has published on Australian karst developed on Cenozoic limestones (including the Nullarbor) and Proterozoic dolomites (Bullita/Judburra). She has caved extensively in Australia and overseas. In 2015 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to science (especially speleology) and youth (Girl Guides). She chaired the ASF Publications commission from 2005 to 2019, has been involved in the Speleo2017 Congress, Conservation and Library Commissions, and was an Editor of Helictite (1998-2016). She was made a Fellow of the Australian Speleological Federation in 2015 for her service to ASF and is an Honorary Life Member of the Victorian Speleological Association. She has worked at several tertiary institutions in Melbourne where she has co-supervised Honours and post-graduate students. Her interests also include Geological Heritage and Significance, and she chaired the Geological Society of Australia’s Standing Committee on Geological Heritage (1994-2010) and GSA (Victoria)’s Geological Heritage subcommittee (1993 - present).
Garry K. Smith is an active speleologist, with more than 50 years’ experience in Australia and overseas. He has held various qualifications as a Scouts caving instructor and examiner as well as 36 years membership of the Newcastle & Hunter Valley Speleological Society, serving in various executive positions including the current president. He has published numerous articles and chapters in magazines and books, covering subjects about cave atmospheres, caving techniques, histoplasmosis, mineralogy, geomorphology and photography. Garry enjoys underground photography and has received numerous photographic awards.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Australian Caves and Karst Systems
Editors: John Webb, Susan White, Garry K. Smith
Series Title: Cave and Karst Systems of the World
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24267-0
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental Science, Earth and Environmental Science (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-24266-3Published: 01 September 2023
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-031-24269-4Due: 28 May 2024
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-24267-0Published: 31 August 2023
Series ISSN: 2364-4591
Series E-ISSN: 2364-4605
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XII, 398
Number of Illustrations: 24 b/w illustrations, 191 illustrations in colour
Topics: Earth Sciences, general, Physical Geography, Conservation Biology/Ecology, Archaeology, Evolutionary Biology