ABSTRACT

Pierre Chevalier also recorded the first European observations distinguishing between vadose and phreatic forms (Chevalier, 1944). The formation of a huge labyrinth under such a small surface area could be explained by the combination of several factors: (1) a synclinal setting which concentrates water flow toward the fold axis; (2) allogenic flows from impervious neighbouring areas and also from glaciers; (3) gradual lowering of the water table, giving rise to the storeys or levels. A rise in the base level due to valley glaciation simply flooded former networks of caves; and (4) lowering of the water level in the looped galleries, giving rise to back-flooded mazes (Lismonde et al., 1997).