Special Issue of the International Journal of Speleology

Processes and Manifestations of Hypogene Karstification

This call substitutes and extends the earlier call for the Special Issue of Geofluids, which is canceled due to the low number of submissions received by the announced deadline. Because a considerable number of requests has been received to extend the preparation of such a volume and to find a publication platform that would not require processing charges or any other expenses for published articles, the arrangements have been made to set up a Special Issue “Processes and Manifestations of Hypogene Karstification” with the International Journal of Speleology (http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/), the official journal of the Union International of Speleology published at the University of South Florida (Tampa, USA). The journal is included in the Science Citation Index-Expanded and has a 5-year impact factor (2012-2016) of 1.554.

Special Issue Description

Hypogene karstification is associated with per ascendum migration (leakage and discharge) of basinal, deep endogene, and deeply circulating meteoric fluids, as well as shallower artesian groundwaters. It generates macroscopic void-conduit systems in rocks and promotes the organization of fluid flow, thus enhancing reservoir properties and creating effective pathways for migration of deep fluids. Recent studies suggest the global widespread, although spatially uneven, development of hypogene karst within the upper (at least 4-5 km) crust, in a wide range of physicochemical conditions, geodynamic settings, and types of rocks, in both the continental and oceanic domains. Although these studies have significantly advanced our understanding of the development and distribution of hypogene void-conduit systems, many important aspects are still poorly understood. Dissolution potential of basinal brines and deep endogene fluids with respect to different rock-forming minerals under various P-T conditions is yet not enough constrained. The dissolution-dominated formation of macroscopic void-conduit systems in deep settings is intimately related to other processes of fluid-induced transformations of rocks, particularly with metasomatism. In turn, being a powerful factor that controls fluid flow, hypogene karstification strongly influences fluid-induced diagenesis. While these relations are readily observed in the field, detailed studies documenting them are scarce. Further comprehension of hypogene karst is hindered by still an incomplete understanding of provenance, properties, phase behaviors, and circulation of deep geofluids. It is additionally complicated by the complex evolution and interaction of deep flow systems of different nature.

The Special Issue “Processes and Manifestations of Hypogene Karstification” aims to collate high-quality research articles and review papers addressing these and other relevant challenges and featuring recent advances in the development and application of the hypogene karst theory.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Field-based and numerical models that describe and couple physical and chemical aspects of focused fluid flows and hypogene speleogenesis in different geodynamic and hydrogeological settings;
• The role of mantle plums and lithosphere geodynamic processes in promoting vigorous fluid upwelling and hypogene karstification;
• The thermodynamics of complex fluid-mineral systems and controls of dissolution capacity of basinal brines and deep endogene fluids with respect to carbonates, sandstones and other rocks in deep crustal P-T conditions;
• Types of hypogene speleogenesis; patterns, morphologies, geological and hydrogeological controls of hypogene karst systems;
• The role of hypogene karstification in the evolution of permeability and porosity of Earth’s crust;
• Case studies of hypogene karst systems based on direct observations/sampling, well and geophysical data; morphological, geological and geochemical records and indicators of hypogene karstification;
• Implications of hypogene karst studies for prospecting and exploration of groundwater, petroleum, ore, and geothermal resources, the geological sequestering of fluids, and assessment and mitigation of geohazards.

Submission

Submission deadline is set on December 15th, 2017. The Special Issue is scheduled to be published at the end of May 2018. All articles will undergo an independent peer review process handled by the guest-editors, with the final decision being taken in consultation with the other Associate Editors.

Articles should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the Submission Guidelines (http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/submission_guidelines.pdf) using the online submission system at http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/ijs/. At some step of the submission process, one has to select HYPOGENE KARSTIFICATION under the manuscript type drop-down menu.

Guest Editors

Alexander Klimchouk (Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine, klim@speleogenesis.info)

Yuri Dublyansky (Institute of Geology, Innsbruck University, Innsbruck, Austria, juri.dublyansky@uibk.ac.at)

Serdar Bayari  (Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey, sbayari75@gmail.com)

Bogdan P. Onac (University of South Florida, Tampa, U.S.A., bonac@usf.edu)

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