THE AGGTELEK KARST,  Hungary.
Magyarország,  AZ AGGTELEKI KARSZT.
______________________________________________________________________

The Society's interest in and interactive relationship with the Aggtelek Karst Region began in August 1986. The purpose of these pages is twofold :
-    firstly, we wish to reflect on the changes we have observed during the intervening 19 years in this beautiful and classic karst area.
-    secondly, we wish to highlight something of the work of the former Karst Hydrological Monitoring Programme of the VITUKI Karst Water Research Station near Jósvafõ in the Aggtelek National Park and to give some publicity to the published results of the Programme.

In a typically Hungarian way, the Karst Hydrological Monitoring Programme was diligently undertaken for 35 years, producing a long, unbroken and undisturbed data series under the guise of various Government Departments and Regional Authorities, a scientific rarity in this world, for such work and even more so for having been undertaken in a karst environment, which is why we were interested in this work from our first discovery of its existence in 1986.
The old VITUKI Organization was sadly subsequently sold off by the State and privatised in 1999. It is now known as VITUKI plc. The VITUKI Karst Water Research Station, (VITUKI kutatóállomás) near Jósvafõ is now the "Papp Ferenc Research Station." The Company decided to end the Programme and its valuable data series on the basis of economics, even though publicly it gave another and seemingly valid scientific reason for doing so. Our Society so vehemently disagreed with the termination of this Programme for whatever the reason given, that we protested in writing on several occasions and protested in person at the VITUKI Offices in Budapest.
We believe the decision to have been both short-sighted and unprofessional and was probably politically motivated to "save money" and make the new Company seem a more economically viable undertaking during the transition from State to private ownership. Very little of the programme's field infrastructure still remains in situ and even less is still functioning.

The Aggtelek Karst is very special to our Society and we deeply regret the demise of any region-wide system which helps to monitor some of the processes taking place in such a dynamic environment. The human perception of our planet as indicated by the output of various international scientific and political forums, supports the commonly held view that we are undergoing "climate change". There has always been climate change but there seems now to be a period of more climatic extremes than before. This perception of climate change was in vogue when it was decided to end the Data Series on the Aggtelek Karst. The continuation of the data series would have provided unique and valuable background information about a whole range of environmental factors in a sensitive environment located in an environmentally strategic part of Europe, as we entered and progressed through what is generally thought to be a new phase of global climatic change.

These pages do not yet include the contribution of the Slovak Section of the Karst Hydrological Monitoring Programme. This will follow in 2005. when all the Links on this page are due to become active.

We are in the very early planning stage of our intention to eventually e-publish a similar web-page for Selected Features of the CHKO Slovenský Kras - Slovak Karst Protected Landscape Area. Whilst the Society does have an extensive photographic Archive of the South East Slovakia Karst Area, much of this was recorded in non-digital formats and now has to be converted to digital format before publication herein. Once the similar and current work on the Hungarian photo-archive material is completed, we shall endeavour to work on the Slovak material.

Section 1.0.    SELECTED FEATURES OF THE AGGTELEK KARST.
        [Locations other than those given in Section 2. below.]

1.1.    INTRODUCTION :

1.2.    SUSPENDED LAKES AND WATER-BODIES :
      (Inactive Link, under construction)

Contains information about the following locations :-
1.2.1.  Black Lake, Aggtelek / Fekete-tó, Aggtelek.
1.2.2.  Aggtelek Lake, Aggtelek / Aggteleki-tó, Aggtelek.
1.2.3.  Red Lake, Aggtelek / Vörös-tó, Aggtelek.
1.2.4.  The Petofi Street Well, Aggtelek / Petofi-utcai kút, Aggtelek.
1.2.5.  The Tarn, Jósvafõ / Tengerszem, Jósvafõ.

[1.3.    The Domica-Baradla Cave System, (Domica Cave section only)  / Jaskynný Systém Domica-Baradla, (Jaskyňa Domica).
        In due course, this will become viewable in "SELECTED FEATURES OF THE SLOVAK KARST", in the Slovenský Kras / Slovak Karst Section of the Webpages for this Project. An interim Homepage is available
        via a Link in the page for Section 1.4. below.]

1.4.    THE BARADLA-DOMICA CAVE SYSTEM, (Baradla Cave section only)  /  BARADLA-DOMICA BARLANGRENDSZER, (Baradla barlang).
      (Active Link but remains under construction)

1.5.    THE LOWER HILL  / AZ ALSÓ-HEGY, [Hungarian territory].
      (Inactive Link, under construction)

[1.6.    The Lower Hill  /  Dolný Vrch, [Slovak territory].
        In due course, this will become viewable in "SELECTED FEATURES OF THE SLOVAK KARST", in the Slovenský Kras / Slovak Karst Section of the Webpages for this Project.]

Section 2.0.    THE HUNGARIAN VITUKI KARST HYDROLOGICAL RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAMME 1958 - 1993.
[ VITUKI - Vízgazdálkodási Tudományos Kutatóközpont / "Research Centre for Water Resources Development" of the Institute of Hydrology.]

2.1.    INTRODUCTION :

2.1.1.    It is not the purpose of these Web Pages to repeat the thorough and almost comprehensive text on the VITUKI Programme, already published in "Results of the Karst Hydrological Research on the Aggtelek Mountains & Undisturbed Hydrological Data Series 1958-1993." (Maucha, 2000). We do intend to shed some light on the interesting hydrometric infrastructure of the VITUKI Programme and its gradual demise. The Society has derived great benefit from a detailed study of the practical application of hydrometric infrastructure in the VITUKI Programme and has successfully replicated some of this in the Society's UK Karst Hydrological Programme (Devon Section).
The field-work of karst hydrometric data-monitoring, recording and collection was based on a system of weir-plate installations together with associated semi-automatic recording hydrographs and stilling wells. In many cases, concrete approach canals were also constructed to comply with hydrometric standards of measuring water flow. This infrastructure was installed at key locations above and below ground, for example, at the surface entrances to ponors, at the mouths of karst springs and at key points underground in the cave passages between the ponors and karst springs.

2.1.1.1.    THE WEIR PLATES :
These were always of the Thin Plate Weir type, manufactured by VITUKI, Budapest, each to a design according to the situation in which it was to be placed. The photographs illustrating each site below will indicate the obvious visual differences between the types of Thin Plate Weirs used. Some Weir Plate installations were accompanied by concrete approach canals whilst others were tandem installations. Some Thin Plate Weirs were of ingenious combination-notch design. We shall of course give as many Weir Plate design details as possible and provide references for further reading. VITUKI consulted with the Budapest Technical University in choosing the most appropriate designs for their Weir Plates.

The Thin Plate Weirs used in the Aggtelek Karst Hydrometrics Programme, were of the following two main types, with Weir Plate design sub-types and their associated flow-rate design parameters further indicated :-

Proportional Notch, Thin Plate Weirs, (giving a logarithmic relationship for the calculation of water flow at high flow rates);
    Proportional Notch - Thin Plate Weir, using a Triangular V-Notch;
    Proportional Notch - Thin Plate Weirs, using a Rectalinear Notch;
    Proportional Notch - Thin Plate Weirs, using a Combination-Notch, (eg. Rectalinear / Rectalinear or Triangular / Truncated V-Notch or Rectalinear / Triangular.)
    (Proportional Notch - Thin Plate Weirs using Trapezoidal Slots were considered but never used.)

Quadratic Notch, Thin Plate Weirs, (giving a proportional linear relationship for the calculation of water flow at low flow rates).
    Hyperbolic-profile Notch - Thin Plate Weir, using a Small Type 1. Notch  /  Kis Tipusu (I) Lineáris Bukógát  -  Q_min = 0.7 litre sec^-1  and Q_max = 39.5 litres sec^-1
    Hyperbolic-profile Notch - Thin Plate Weir, using a Large Type 3. Notch  /  Nagy Tipusu (III) Lineáris Bukógát  -  Q_min = 0.5 litre sec^-1  and Q_max = 166.6 litres sec^-1
    (Quadratic Notch - Thin Plate Weirs using Radial Slots were considered but never used.)

All design types were highly effective and, as we shall illustrate, to cope with very high flow rates, Tandem Installations were sometimes used.
We can vouch for their general accuracy insofar as when the Society had Triangular V-Notch Thin Plate Weirs constructed for installation at karst spring locations in Devon, UK, we built them in series with calibration weirs to verify the accuracy of flow indicated at the main weir. The main Weir Plates always yielded data to an accuracy well within the British Standard Specification for theoretical performance.

2.1.1.2.    THE RECORDING HYDROGRAPHS :
These very reliable and versatile units were used by VITUKI throughout the Aggtelek Karst. They were imported from the then ČSSR (Czechoslovakia), where they were manufactured by Metra in Prague. VITUKI chose to use the Metra Model 501 "Egyetemes bejegyzö vízmérce" or General Recording Water Guage, for general use across the karst territory, where its robust style of manufacture and impeccable clockwork device would prove to be ideal in all conditions above and below ground. It even came with a 9 month guarantee and a special version of its Handbook printed in the Hungarian Language!!
The Metra 501 Hydrograph is positioned on a fixed platform above the highest level of the water being monitored. For practical reasons, a stilling well or float chamber is usually constructed below the Hydrograph and, indeed, usually forms the integral platform on which it sits. (In some locations, the Hydrograph was located in a specially built hydrograph-house, usually of stone construction). The Hydrograph housing contains a revolving drum, onto which is fixed a calibrated chart paper. A copper float placed on the water-level in the float chamber below the Hydrograph is connected to the Hydrograph by a bronze ribbon, perforated at regular intervals to fit the teeth of a cog-wheel and gearbox under the revolving drum. The bronze ribbon passes up through the base of the Hydrograph housing, over the cog wheel and down through another aperture leading it out of the base of the Hydrograph. The gearbox, with many movement-reduction ratio settings, is connected at its output shaft with an ingenious, vertically-positioned double-helical drive. This in turn is connected to a pen-recorder, which is in contact with the calibrated chart paper on the revolving drum. To counterbalance the float, there is a counterweight on the other end of the perforated bronze ribbon, and this hangs freely in the float chamber without impinging on the movement of the float.
As the float rises and falls with the changing water-level, the perforated bronze ribbon moves correspondingly up or down, moving the cog wheel over which it passes. The vertical movement of the float is reduced in the gearbox by a ratio pre-set by the user, such that the output shaft can then transmit the float movement to the pen-recorder via the helical drive, which marks the rise or fall of the water in ink on the revolving chart paper. The clockwork drive will turn the revolving drum for 8 days, after which time it has to be rewound.
VITUKI normally had the chart paper changed every 7 days by a local field worker living in Jósvafõ and who also carried out routine maintenance on the hydrometric infrastructure. We would like to mention the valiant efforts of one Gyula Bokros in this connection, who also gave us much valuable help in the form of operational information.

2.2.    Notes on the Published Results of the Karst Hydrological Research on the Aggtelek Karst Mountains and the Undisturbed Hydrological Data Series 1958-1993.

[In preparation].

2.3. COMPARISON OF PONOR HYDROMETRIC INFRASTRUCTURE, 1986 to 2002.
      (Active Link, but remains under construction)

Contains information about the following locations :-
2.3.1.  Bába Hole Ponor, Aggtelek / Bába-lyuk víznyelõ, Aggtelek.
2.3.2.  Cserna Lake Ponor, Aggtelek / Csernai-tói víznyelõ, Aggtelek.
2.3.3.  Small Baradla Ponor, Aggtelek / Kis-Baradla víznyelõ, Aggtelek.
2.3.4.  Main Entrance to the Baradla Cave System, Aggtelek / Baradla barlang fo-bejárat, Aggtelek.
2.3.5.  Acheron Ponor, Aggtelek / Acheron víznyelõ, Aggtelek.
2.3.6.  Zombor Hole Ponor, Aggtelek / Zombor-lyuk víznyelõ, Aggtelek.
2.3.7.  Small Ravasz Hole Ponor / Kis-Ravasz-lyuk víznyelõ.
2.3.8.  Large Ravasz Hole Ponor / Nagy-Ravasz-lyuk víznyelõ.
2.3.9.  Unnamed Swallow-hole (abandoned ponor) / Névtelen-nyelõ.
2.3.10.  Baradla Cave, "Radish" Branch Passage / Baradla Barlang, Retek-ág.
2.3.11. Baradla Cave, "Acheron" Branch Passage / Baradla Barlang, Acheron-ág.

2.4. COMPARISON OF KARST SPRING HYDROMETRIC INFRASTRUCTURE, 1986 to 2002.
      (Active Link, but remains under construction)

Contains information about the following locations :-
2.4.1.  Baradla Short Lower Cave, Jósvafõ / Baradla Rövid Alsó barlang karsztforrás, Jósvafõ.
2.4.2.  Baradla Long Lower Cave, Jósvafõ / Baradla Hosszu Alsó barlang karsztforrás, Jósvafõ.
2.4.3.  Komlós Karst Spring, Jósvafõ / Komlós karsztforrás, Jósvafõ.
2.4.4.  Kossuth Cave, Jósvafõ / Kossuth barlang, Jósvafõ.
2.4.5.  Large Tohonya Karst Spring, Jósvafõ / Nagy-Tohonya karsztforrás, Jósvafõ.
2.4.6.  Small Tohonya Karst Spring, Jósvafõ / Kis-Tohonya karsztforrás, Jósvafõ.
2.4.7.  Vecsem Karst Spring, Bódvaszilas / Vecsem karsztforrás, Bódvaszilas.
2.4.8.  Cave-research Karst Spring, Bódvaszilas / Barlangkutató-forrás, Bódvaszilas.

2.5.    Acknowledgements :

We wish to express our deep debt of gratitude for the enormous help, patience and enthusiasm given us by the many Hungarian speleologists and karstologists, far too many to name individually, over the course of almost 2 decades. In particular, we express our gratitude and sincere thanks to :-

KAMARÁS János; KAMARÁS Ildikó; KAMARÁS Zsolt; KAMARÁS Norbert; MAUCHA László; SALAMON Gábor; SALAMON Anna Mária; SÁRVÁRY István; SÁRVÁRY Miklós; SZENTHE István.

more to follow

Section 3.0.    THE SLOVAK SHMÚ KARST HYDROLOGICAL RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAMME.
[ SHMÚ - Slovenský Hydrometeorologický Ústav / Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute.]

3.1.    INTRODUCTION :

3.2.    Notes on the Published Results of the Karst Hydrological Research on the Slovak Karst and the Undisturbed Hydrological Data Series 1958-1993.

[In preparation].

3.3.    COMPARISON OF PONOR HYDROMETRIC INFRASTRUCTURE, 1986 to 2002.
  (Inactive Link, under construction)

Contains information about the following locations :-
3.3.1.  The Stinking Lake Swallow-hole, Domica / Smrduté jazero Ponor, Domica.
3.3.2.  The Domica Swallow-hole, Domica / Domica Ponor, Domica.
3.3.3.  The Devil's Swallow-hole / Čertova diera Ponor, Domica.

3.4.    COMPARISON OF KARST SPRING HYDROMETRIC INFRASTRUCTURE, 1986 to 2002.
  (Inactive Link, under construction)

Contains information about the following locations :-
3.4.1.  Gombasek Cave, Gombasek / Gombasecká jaskyňe, Gombasek / Gombaszögi-barlang, Gombaszög.

Section 4.0.    BIBLIOGRAPHY and FURTHER READING.
[ § indicates a stock item in the Society's Library Facility.]

Jakucs L, (ed) et al   (1975) § "Aggteleki Karsztvidék-útikalauz."
                ["Aggtelek Karstlands-travel guide."]
                Published by :  Sportkiadó, BUDAPEST, Hungary.
Maucha L, (ed) et al   (2000) § "Results of the Karst Hydrological Research on the Aggtelek Mountains and Undisturbed Hydrological Data Series 1958-1993." [With CD-ROM].
                Published by :  The Hydrological Institute of the Water Resources Research PLC., BUDAPEST, Hungary.

more to follow

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