ACTA CARSOLOGICA 37/1 – 2008 165
A BOOK ON KARST IN ICE AND ICE IN KARST
(Andrzej Tyc & Krzysztof Stefaniak (editors): Karst and Cryokarst, Studies of t�e Faculty of Eart� Sciences University 
of Silesia, 263 pp., Sosnowiec – w rocŀaw 2007)
REVIEw S AND REPORTS / POROč ILA
This is in fact t�e book of proceedings of t�e 8
t�
 GLACK-
IPR (Glaciers, Caves and Karst in Polar Regions) w�ic� 
was �eld in Silesia (Poland) in Marc� 2007. The book is 
t�e publication No. 45 of t�e Studies of t�e Faculty of 
Eart� Sciences of University of Silesia – it is a pity t�at 
t�ere is not a list of ot�er works, at least t�ose dedicated 
to karst – and in t�e same time joint publication of t�e 
said faculty, Zoological Institute from w rocŀaw, commis-
sion Karst of t�e International Geograp�ical Union and 
t�e commission GLACKIPR of t�e International Speleo-
logical Union. In t�e foreword A. Tyc explained t�at cry-
okarst is not meant as a synonym for t�ermokarst but is 
in fact pseudokarst in glaciers and ice. It is in accordance 
wit� t�e views and writing of t�e late Prof. Marian Pulina 
w�o strongly supported, by �is deeds too, t�e second 
meaning. It �as to be mentioned t�at t�e book is dedicat-
ed to Marian Pulina and to Teresa w iszniowska. Pulina 
was well known karstologist and researc�er of karst and 
cryokarst (or glacial karst) in �ig� latitudes and �e died 
in 2005 (see also Acta carsologica, …..). 
Beside s�ort biograp�ies and full bibliograp�ies of 
T. w iszniowska and M. Pulina and some “formal” con-
tributions (Foreword, Greeting, Agreement…) t�ere are 
16 papers and two reports publis�ed in t�is volume. Six 
of t�em are dedicated to cryokarst as mentioned above 
(pseudokarst features in ice and glaciers respectively) 
and t�e rest ten to karst proper. Among t�e aut�ors 
of t�e first part t�ere are well known names as Adolfo 
Eraso, Bulat Mavlyudov and Jacques Sc�roeder. The 
topics are glacier �ydrology (internal drainage system, 
p�ysioc�emical c�aracteristics of subglacier drainage, 
measurements of t�e glacier disc�arge) wit� special at-
tention paid to t�e particular form in ice, t�e Moulin. 
Two of t�e papers are globally oriented: subpolar gla-
ciers and global warming evolution and c�anges in an 
Antarctica icecap. The papers on glacier drainage and on 
moulins prove t�at t�e forms in ice, glaciers respectively 
�ave really a lot in common wit� t�e proper karst. From 
t�is point of view t�e term of cryokarst is absolutely ad-
equate. 
The rest of t�e papers dealing wit� karst in carbon-
ate rock are partly connected wit� t�e ice and glaciation 
too. Suc� are papers on karst of Venetian Prealps, of Pyr-
enees, of Lublin-Vol�ynia c�alk karst or t�e paper on t�e 
speleogenesis of Śnieżna (Snow) Cave in Tatra Moun-
tains. Six papers towards t�e end of t�e volume are deal-
ing wit� different types of karst and karst processes wit�-
out connection wit� ice or glaciations. There are papers 
classified as regional ones focused on Sudetes Mts. Karst, 
Tatra Mts. and Guangxi province of C�ina. 

ACTA CARSOLOGICA 37/1 – 2008 166
ANDREJ KRANJC
The paper of E. V . Trofimova is giving new data 
about t�e karst denudation in Siberia and Russian Far 
East, ranging between 1.1 and 62 mm per t�ousand 
years, w�ic� is muc� more t�an previously (Corbel 1957) 
t�oug�t. The researc� area is very large (125 river basins) 
and observations lasted several years. Relatively �ig� val-
ues are due to t�e fact t�at in Siberia and Far East t�e 
karst in evaporites and salt prevails. 
 There are two papers w�ic� deserve a special atten-
tion from t�e t�eoretical point of view as well as from 
t�e tec�nical one and can be important for t�e manag-
ers of s�ow caves. The aut�ors J. Piasecki and T. Sawiński 
presented t�e met�od, instruments and data analyses of 
acoustic measurements of airflow in speleo-climatologi-
cal studies. The experiment of t�is met�od was carrying 
on for several years in some s�ow caves and proved to be 
very efficient. At t�e end t�e aut�ors proposed a “univer-
sal classification of cave air movements” . As t�is one also 
t�e topic of t�e next paper can be of direct use for s�ow 
cave managers and for t�e organizers of mass visits to t�e 
caves. The aut�ors M. Parise and M. A. Trisciuzzi con-
tributed t�e paper on geomec�anical c�aracterization of 
carbonate rock masses in underground karst systems as a 
case study from Castellana-Grotte in Sout�ern Italy. They 
made an inventory of fall deposits in t�e cave and studied 
in details t�eir geomec�anical c�aracteristics. According 
to t�em t�ey determined t�e main mec�anisms of insta-
bility in t�e cave of Castellana. According to t�em t�e 
zones and places w�ere t�e collapses and rock detac�-
ments mig�t occur are determined. 
At t�e end of t�e volume t�ere are two interesting 
reports about news from two Russian s�ow caves. The 
first one described t�e “news in monitoring system and 
recommendations in development of use and protection 
of Kungur Ice Cave” from w�ic� it is wort� to mention 
radiological researc� and t�e researc� of t�e speleot�ems 
of man-caused minerals (on old wall, columns, metal 
constructions, etc.). The second one in fact announced 
a new s�ow cave: Ordinskaya Cave. It is quite unusual 
“s�ow cave” and t�at is t�e reason w�y t�ey call it “an 
object of speleotourism” . It is t�e longest underwater cave 
in Russia: 3.6 km out of 4 is filled by water. There is t�e 
longest (980 m) sip�on in Russia. And w�at about t�e 
tourism? It is possible to �ire diving equipment and an 
instructor! 
The book is well illustrated, including colour fig-
ures.For a free ask t�e editor Andrzej Tyc (atyc@us.edu.
pl). ISBN is 978-83-87431-89-1 and ISSN 1895-6777.
Andrej Kranjc