ABSTRACT
Simulation of the characteristics of a karst conduit system can provide insights into possible passage configurations based on input and output waveforms. This has been well known since Ashton’s work in the mid 1960s, the most common parameters of interest being flow, total hardness and pH, observed at the sinks and resurgences, and within caves. Modern software, e.g. the MS Excel spreadsheet, now allows simulation of streams and cave characteristics to be performed using personal computers, without the need for extensive programming. The simple simulation described is capable of extension using more complex time-dependent coefficients to produce a model which must both represent best practice in hydrological modelling and predict parameters which conform with observed parameters to a high degree of statistical confidence. The incorporation of artificial intelligence to predict passage configurations will be discussed.
