Cerknica Polje, Slovenia: History: Figure 1. Wernher’s 1551 map of the Cerknica Lake, showing the main water sinks. South is at the top of the map. Cerknica Polje, Slovenia: History: Figure 2. Valvasor’s diagram of 1689, showing supposed subterranean lakes associated with the Cerknica Lake, and the channels and siphons connecting them.

doi:10.4324/9780203483855-96

Chapter

Cerknica Polje, Slovenia: History: Figure 1. Wernher’s 1551 map of the Cerknica Lake, showing the main water sinks. South is at the top of the map. Cerknica Polje, Slovenia: History: Figure 2. Valvasor’s diagram of 1689, showing supposed subterranean lakes associated with the Cerknica Lake, and the channels and siphons connecting them.

Chapter

ABSTRACT

Cerknica Lake. The lake, he said, was an overflow from underground lakes beneath the surrounding hills, which normally drained elsewhere. This idea was in fact partially correct. Unfortunately, two years later, Valvasor evidently felt that he needed to explain the sudden onset of floodwater flow into the lake. To do this he modified his simple explanation unrecognizably to a system consisting of the lake itself, an underground lake beneath it, more underground lakes in the hills, channels connecting them all, and no fewer than six siphons (Figure 2).