Karst development and groundwater flow in the Quatsino FM. northern Vancouver Island

Abstract

<p>This study attempts to determine the nature of karst developed in uplifted and intruded carbonate strata on northern Vancouver Island, Canada. Hydrochemical analyses are employed to determine the potential of the solution process imposed by geochemical constraints, and to investigate the extent to which hydrochemical character can be used to inerpret the nature of groundwater flow and the spatial distribution of solution in the karst. Examination of landscape form, particularly in cave passages, is employed to further understanding of the physical constraints on groundwater flow and cave development, and to interpret the historical record preserved there.</p>