Karst phenomena in the city of Kraków

Abstract

Karst phenomena commonly occur in the city of Kraków. They are represented by 59 caves, forms of surface relief, palaeokarst forms and karst springs. They are formed in the Upper Jurassic limestones which built horsts within the city area. Twardowskiego-Niska Cave with the length of 610 m
is the longest one in the city. The most known cave is Smocza Jama which is mentioned even in medieval chronicles. This results from its location in the city centre at the foot of the hill crowned by the Royal Wawel Castle. Most of the caves are of relict type. Smocza Jama originated as a result of ascending flow of water of elevated temperature. The former Vistula river may have flown through some caves, which is suggested by internal gravel and sand deposits.