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Evaluation of susceptibility for terrain collapse and subsidence in karst areas,


municipality of Iraquara, Chapada Diamantina (BA), Brazil

Article in Environmental Earth Sciences · August 2018


DOI: 10.1007/s12665-018-7769-8

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Environmental Earth Sciences (2018) 77:593
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7769-8

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Evaluation of susceptibility for terrain collapse and subsidence in karst


areas, municipality of Iraquara, Chapada Diamantina (BA), Brazil
Lucas de Queiroz Salles1 · Paulo Galvão2 · Luiz Rogério Bastos Leal1 · Ricardo Galeno Fraga de Araujo Pereira1 ·
Carlos Gleidson Campos da Purificação1 · Fernando Verassani Laureano3

Received: 6 November 2017 / Accepted: 17 August 2018


© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018

Abstract
The morphological evolution of the karstic systems is associated with a set of physical and chemical processes, triggered by
the dissolution of the rocks, related to percolation of groundwater and surface water, which consequently open underground
voids and carve out peculiar forms of relief. Due to environmental and geotechnical aspects, this system is naturally more
fragile and vulnerable than other natural systems and, therefore, has increasingly received the attention of the scientific
community over the past decades. The objective of the study was to delimit zones with varying degrees of susceptibility for
collapses and subsidence of sinkholes in the municipality of Iraquara, Chapada Diamantina (BA), Brazil, and to understand
their geological and morphological determinant factors. Geological data, karst phenomenon map, and visual analysis in the
field were used to categorize zones with different types of susceptibilities to the nucleation of new sinkholes based on a
Hazard Index. This index was defined from the sum of geological hazard factors, lineament density, and sinkhole density.
The areas that presented the highest susceptibility for terrain collapse and subsidence corresponded to regions where carbon‑
ate rocks outcrop, with high density of photolineaments and 2.62 sinkholes/km2. Processes associated with terrain collapse
and subsidence in karst areas consisted of a combination of various factors, hindering precise predictions. However, zones
of different types of susceptibilities to terrain collapse and subsidence can be delimited when the relationships between
these processes and their factors are understood. The Hazard Index proposed does not provide quantitative values for the
probability of hazard susceptibility, but rather indicates areas that are more susceptible to terrain subsidence and collapse.

Keywords Karst · Carbonate rocks · Chapada Diamantina · Collapse and subsidence · Brazil

Introduction complex morphology, karst terrains are particularly more


fragile and vulnerable to environmental damages in compar‑
Karst terrains cover approximately 20% of the Earth’s sur‑ ison with most natural systems (Elhatip 1995; Zhou 2006;
face and develop mainly in carbonate rocks, evaporative Ford and Williams 2007; Goldsheider and Drew 2007).
rocks and other, which hold groundwater resources that Moreover, they are also susceptible to terrain collapses.
22% of the world population directly or indirectly relies Thus, understanding the properties of this system represents
upon (Ford and Williams 2007, Huggett 2007). Due to their an important tool for the management of groundwater (Gal‑
vão et al. 2015) and associated geotechnical risks.
Susceptibility associated with collapse and subsidence
* Lucas de Queiroz Salles issues is more common in karst terrains. This phenomenon
[email protected]
may directly affect people’s lives and cause severe environ‑
1
Institute of Geosciences, Federal University of Bahia, mental and economic risks (Sallun Filho 2012; Gutiérrez
Ondina Campus, Salvador, BA 40170‑115, Brazil et al. 2014). Surface bulging may occur either as a result of
2
Department of Geology, Federal University of Ouro Preto, natural processes or be induced by human activities, espe‑
Morro do Cruzeiro Campus, Ouro Preto, MG 35400‑000, cially those related to the overexploitation of groundwater
Brazil resources (He et al. 2003; Galve et al. 2009a, b). Natural and
3
Institute of Biological Sciences and Health of PUC Minas, human processes mainly differ regarding the rate at which
Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Betim, subsidence begins, with considerably faster rates observed
MG 32630‑000, Brazil

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in situations of direct anthropogenic interference (Lei et al. photolineament density and sinkhole density, and summa‑
2001; Galvão et al. 2015). rized in the Hazard Index. This knowledge is paramount
Terrain collapse and subsidence in karst areas are usu‑ for the protection of the physical environment and territo‑
ally influenced by various natural and/or human factors: (1) rial development, which should be applied as a subsidy for
degree of karstification; (2) increase of water input in the elaborating a land use and occupation master plan.
soil (rain water, floods, pipe leakages, irrigation, among oth‑
ers); (3) water level reduction (due to paleoenvironmental
changes, groundwater extraction, and tectonics); (4) water Site description
damming; (5) epikarst erosion and carving; (6) underground
excavations; (7) vegetation removal; (8) distance from faults Iraquara is located in the state of Bahia, Brazil, 340 km west
and fractures; and (9) soil thawing (Hu et al. 2001; He et al. from Salvador, the state capital (Fig. 1a). According to the
2003; Zhou 2006; Galve et al. 2009a, b; Keqiang et al. 2009; last national census, this municipality presents a popula‑
Cooper and Gutiérrez 2013; Gutiérrez et al. 2014; Galvão tion of 25,279 inhabitants (IBGE 2017), distributed over
et al. 2015). Catastrophic collapses directly over cavities an area of 991 km2. Demographic growth was estimated at
occur in less than 1% of cases. In most reports, remobiliza‑ approximately 10% between 2010 and 2016 (IBGE 2016).
tion of unconsolidated cover occurs towards the interior of Urban occupation is mainly observed in the central portion
caves, bulging the surface (Ford and Williams 2007). of the municipality (Fig. 1a). Studies conducted based on
Several cases of collapse and subsidence events in karst satellite images showed that an occupation boom occurred
areas have been reported around the world, for example in the region in 2006 (Fig. 1b).
in Tangshan, China (Hu et al. 2001), in the Ebro Valley, The main economic activities are limited to tomato, ole‑
Zaragoza, Spain (Galve et al. 2009a, b), and in Sango, Ten‑ aginous plants and umbu crops, and to cave tourism. The
nessee, USA (Siska et al. 2016). In Brazil, the municipali‑ region is located within one of the most expressive land‑
ties of Lapão and Itaetê (Bahia), Mairinque and Cajamar scape sites of Brazil, the Chapada Diamantina, where nature
(São Paulo), Sete Lagoas and Lagoa Santa (Minas Gerais), tourism represents an important economic activity. For
Almirante Tamandaré and Bocaiuva do Sul (Paraná), and Auler and Ferrant (1996), the gallery networks that exist in
Teresina (Piauí) are examples of areas where geotechnical the region compose one of the most relevant speleological
processes led to countless environmental and material dam‑ sites in the country, with 99 cavities recorded so far (CANIE
ages (Silva 1998; Pereira 1998; Santos 2008). However, the 2017), or 0.12 caves per ­km2. This is possibly the location
distribution and probability of occurrence of new collapse with the highest density of underground galleries per unit
and subsidence phenomena represent an important gap in of area in Brazil.
knowledge for most of these municipalities. Geologically, the area is located within the central pan‑
Geological and geomorphological characterization and orama of the state of Bahia. Its evolution model follows
spatialization of information about known events are impor‑ an aulacogen structural pattern (Souza et al. 1993) called
tant actions towards the mitigation of risks associated with Western Chapada Diamantina Thrust and Fold Belt. In this
collapse and subsidence events in karts terrains, to analyze region, Mesoproterozoic siliciclastic lithostratigraphic unit
areas with highest probability of new occurrences (Gutiérrez outcrops are represented, from base to top, by the Tomba‑
et al. 2008). Susceptibility maps represent the probability dor, Caboclo, and Morro do Chapéu formations, composing
of sinkholes either occurring or not in specific areas (Galve the Chapada Diamantina Group, and a thick Neoproterozoic
et al. 2011). The purpose of delimiting zones in these types carbonate–pelite sequence that composes the Una Group
of maps is to express the various levels of nucleation of new (São Francisco Supergroup), where the karst terrains found
sinkholes, which represents an important tool for the man‑ in Iraquara are developed. This sequence lies discordantly
agement of land use and occupation and of water resources upon meta-sediments of the Chapada Diamantina Group
(Hu et al. 2001; Galvão et al. 2015; Siska et al. 2016). and is composed, from base to top, of the Bebedouro and
Founded in 1962, the municipality of Iraquara, which Salitre formations. Covering this set of rocks are outcrops
was the object of the study, is located in a region with high of Cenozoic detrital covers, which are related to successive
density of underground galleries (Auler and Ferrant 1996; erosion cycles that sculpted the relief (Misi 1979; Bonfim
IBGE 2016). The variety of geoforms, associated with disor‑ et al. 1985; Pedreira et al. 1987; Souza et al. 1993, 2002;
derly growth and lack of urban planning, has promoted high Pedreira 2004).
geotechnical risks to the municipality. The objective of the The Salitre Formation is represented by the Nova Amé‑
paper was to delineate zones with varying degrees of hazard rica and Jussara units. The Nova América unit is composed
susceptibility, which result from the collapse and subsidence of calc-siltite, dololutite, dolarenite, and algal mudstone,
of sinkholes, in the municipality of Iraquara, Bahia, Brazil. deposited in an intertidal to subtidal environment with
To do so, a new method was proposed associating lithology, periodical exposure. On the other hand, the Jussara unit is

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Fig. 1  a Location of the study area, in geographic coordinates; b urban occupation growth of the municipality of Iraquara, between 1986 and
2016, defined using images from the Landsat satellite; and c digital elevation model defined from an ASTER image, with resolution of 30 m

composed of oolitic calcarenites, which are often oncolitic, by smooth-profile depressions associated with slow subsid‑
deposited in a subtidal environment, and, locally, in an inter‑ ence caused by the removal and infiltration of detrital covers
tidal to supratidal environment (Pedreira 2004). (Fig. 2).
Regarding geomorphology, Iraquara can be divided
into two domains: (1) mountainous region, where meta-
sediments of the Chapada Diamantina Group outcrop, with Materials and methods
topography ranging between 800 and 1200 m, and slope
varying between 8 and 30%; and (2) karst plateau, where Three datasets were used to define the hazard susceptibility
morphological features composed of smoothly sloped and model associated with collapses in Iraquara. These included
wavy ramps predominate, with slopes varying between 0 geological data, a karst phenomenon map, and visual analy‑
and 12% (Fig. 1c). sis in the field. Lithology, lineament density, and karst fea‑
Karst depressions correspond to a set of sinkholes or ture density maps were elaborated from these data. Maps
uvalas that are concentrated along stretches with NW–SE were later integrated using Hazard Index map algebra. These
preferential orientation and, subordinately, N–S orientation, methods are described as follows.
occupying 1.64% of the total area of the municipality. In this
region, karst depressions can be classified into two groups Elaboration of basemaps
(Cruz Junior 1998): (1) collapse sinkholes, which corre‑
spond to enclosed depressions, with steep profiles; and (2) Geological data comprised: (1) lithological map (1:100,000),
suffosion sinkholes (Ford and Williams 1989), represented elaborated from the IBGE/SEI (2003) database; and (2)

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Fig. 2  a Collapse sinkhole possibly associated with overexploitation of groundwater and use in tomato crops (See detail in a1); since the col‑
lapse an installation and exploration of a tubular well 200 m from the site occured; b suffosion sinkhole (Ford and Williams 2007)

lineament density map (Fig. 3a), produced using the “Line high, for values above the mean, plus standard deviation; and
Density” tool of ArcMap 10.1 software. Lineaments were (3) medium, for values between intervals 1 and 2 (Fig. 3).
delimited by aligned crests, valley bottoms, and drainages,
according to the interpretation of shadowed relief images Hazard model associated with terrain collapse
which were produced based on azimuths 0°, 90°, 180°, and and subsidence in karst areas
270°.
A karst phenomenon map was developed to build a broad The purpose of this model was to divide the study area into
cartographic inventory. The map was built on the extraction sub-regions with various collapse or subsidence hazard sus‑
of geoforms from aerial photography analysis at a scale of ceptibilities. Three factors were used to create the hazard
1:60,000. Aerial photographs were then scanned and vec‑ model based on Galve et al. (2008), Hu et al. (2001), Galvão
tored in the software ArcMap 10.1. The sinkhole density et al. (2015), and Siska et al. (2016): (1) lithological; (2)
map consisted of an interpolation of central points (unit of fracturing density; and (3) sinkhole density. Hazard factors
sinkhole) using the “Density” tool of the ArcMap 10.1 soft‑ and their attributes are summarized in Fig. 4, according to
ware (Fig. 3b). their degree of influence on hazard susceptibility. The Haz‑
A class distribution analysis was conducted to define ard Index (HI) comprises the sum of the previously men‑
patterns regarding sinkhole and fracturing indexes. This tioned factors (Fig. 4).
analysis consisted of extracting the values of the previously The lithological hazard factor was based on the rocks
mentioned indexes from an equidistant sampling mesh of mapped in the field and their relationships with the num‑
150 m for lineage density (Fig. 3a1), and 85 m for the sink‑ ber of occurrences of sinkholes per square kilometer. Thus,
hole density map (Fig. 3b1). These values were taken from three categories were defined regarding this hazard factor:
the extraction of points from the lowest cells of raster images (1) areas where the outcrop carbonate rocks from the Salitre
(pixel) using the “Conversions Tools” of the ArcMap 10.1 Formation received a hazard score of “10”; (2) carbonate
software. Indexes were divided into three classes: (1) low, rocks covered by unconsolidated sediments that received a
for values below the mean, minus standard deviation (σ); (2) score of “5”; and (3) siliciclastic rocks from the Chapada

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Fig. 3  a Photolineament density map extracted from a raster image; elaborated from aerial photographs at a scale of 1:60,000; and (b1)
(a1) class distribution histogram regarding lineament density and class distribution histogram regarding sinkhole density and relation‑
relationship with the degree of Hazard Index; b sinkhole density map, ship with the degree of Hazard Index

Fig. 4  Hazard Index (HI)


calculated based on lithological
factors, lineament density, and
sinkhole density. The box plot
exemplifies the method used to
separate hazard degree: negli‑
gible for the first quartile (Q1);
low between Q1–Q2; moderate
between Q2–Q3; and high for
scores above Q3

Diamantina Group and Bebedouro Formation that received degree of terrain surface instability and also favors the coa‑
a hazard score of “0”. lescence of these superficial karst features, forming uvalas in
The same principle was used to quantify the hazard factor areas where the number of sinkholes per unit of area is high.
of lineament density. Therefore, three classes were deter‑ The scores calculated based on the HI (Fig. 4) resulted in
mined regarding the fracturing density hazard factor (Fig. 4). dimensionless values. Thus, a descriptive statistical analy‑
The hazard factor associated with sinkhole density is sum‑ sis was conducted to evaluate the empiric distribution of
marized in three categories: high, medium, and low, attribut‑ data and establish hazard intervals, based on all possible
ing scores of 1, 2, and 4, respectively. This factor reflects the combinations of the degree of hazard for terrain collapse

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and subsidence, calculated through the HI equation (Fig. 4). The carbonate rocks correspond to limestone and dolo‑
Quartiles (the separatrix measurement that divides the data mite of the Salitre Formation are located in the central por‑
sampled into four different groups—each one presenting tion of Iraquara, occupying approximately 36.6% of the area
25% of data) of the possible HI scores were divided on an (IBGE/SEI 2013). Petrographically, the carbonate rocks of
Excel spreadsheet. The relationships between the calculated the region present an extremely low primary porosity. How‑
quartiles and the HI associated with collapse or subsidence ever, when present, porosity is associated with the process
of the karst relief were thus determined. of calcite dolomitization. The effective permeability of the
aquifer is limited to secondary porosity (faults and fractures)
and the formation of tertiary porosity (cavities) (White 1999,
2002).
Results
Recent unconsolidated sediments cover these units. This
cover is indiscriminately distributed over the municipal‑
Results consisted of a geologic map, factors associated with
ity, occupying approximately 19.6% of its area (IBGE/SEI
terrain collapse and subsidence, and the Hazard Index.
2013).

Lithology Hazard factor associated with terrain collapse


and subsidence
From a lithological point of view, the study area can be
divided into three domains: (1) siliciclastic rock domain; The hazard factor associated with lithology (Fig. 7a) was
(2) carbonate rock domain; and (3) Cenozoic unconsolidated divided based on the number of sinkholes per unit of area
cover domain. The siliciclastic rock domain corresponds to ­(km2) of the lithologies exemplified in Fig. 5. In areas where
diamictites, sandstones, mudstones and conglomerates at the carbonate rocks of the Salitre Formation outcrop, 1.13 sink‑
Bebedouro Formation and Chapada Diamantina Group, dis‑ hole units occurred per square kilometer (­ km2). However,
tributed along the W and E extremities (Fig. 5), occupying under unconsolidated sediment units, there was a consider‑
approximately 47.9% (Fig. 6) of the area of the municipality able reduction in the number of sinkholes per ­km2, six times
(IBGE/SEI 2013). lower than the exposed karst. No sinkholes were mapped

Fig. 5  Geologic map of the municipality of Iraquara. The silici‑ ate rocks of the Salitre Formation outcrop in the central portion of
clastic rocks of the Bebedouro Formation and Chapada Diamantina the area; Cenozoic detrital covers occur indiscriminately (IBGE/SEI
Group occur in the W and E portions of the municipality; the carbon‑ 2013)

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Environmental Earth Sciences (2018) 77:593 Page 7 of 11 593

Fig. 6  a Cryptoalgal mudstone of the Nova América Formation, mudstone detailing the contact of the OM-rick mudstone overlapped
deposited in a supratidal environment; b petrographic slide, under by carbonate mud; d detail of micrite dolomitization, under plane
plane polarized light and ×10 objective, showing levels of rock disso‑ polarized light and ×20 objective
lution (in black) enriched in organic matter (OM); c dolomitized algal

over the siliciclastic rocks of the Chapada Diamantina Group The geologic hazard factor associated with sinkhole den‑
and Bebedouro Formation. sity (Fig. 7c) showed two regions that presented the highest
Photolineaments possibly consist of foliations, fractures, concentrations of sinkholes in Iraquara. The first was located
faults and interactions between stratification planes and the in the central–southern portion of the municipality, while the
surface. These relief features can be partially masked by the second was in the central–northern portion, where part of
presence of sedimentary covers (Cheema and Islan 1994). the town is located. In most karst areas, the evolution of the
The lineament density map (Fig. 7b) showed that they were system is directly related to superficial processes, and the
heterogeneously distributed over the area of the municipal‑ characterization of exokarsts is one of the main resources to
ity. However, the largest unit of high photolineament density understand underground karsts (Ford and Williams 2007).
was observed in the southern portion of the study area. Thus, a larger network of surface sinkholes suggests more
The unit of low lineament density occupied 17.9% of the evolved subterraneous karsts and, therefore, higher suscep‑
area susceptible to surface bulging. This region presented tibility to collapse and subsidence in these areas (Zhou et al.
0.35 sinkhole unit per k­ m2. In turn, the moderate photo‑ 2003; Gao et al. 2005; Kemmerly 2006).
lineament density unit occupied approximately 63.8% of the
area subject to terrain collapse and subsidence, with 0.67 Hazard Index associated with terrain collapse
sinkhole unit per ­km2. Finally, the unit of high lineament and subsidence
density occupied approximately 18.3% of the area subject
to collapse and subsidence, with 2.4 sinkhole units per ­km2 The Hazard Index (Fig. 8) was defined through the sum
mapped (Fig. 7b). This analysis demonstrated a direct cor‑ of the geologic hazard factors (Fig. 7a), lineament density
relation in the region between photolineament density and (Fig. 7b), and sinkhole density (Fig. 7c). The area that
the presence of sinkholes. was classified as having high hazard susceptibility (in red)

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to siliciclastic rocks of the Chapada Diamantina Group and


Bebedouro Formation, where no sinkholes occur.

Discussion

The results of the present study provided an expressive per‑


spective regarding the distribution of collapse and subsid‑
ence areas in karst reliefs, improving the understanding of
their causes in the municipality of Iraquara. This discussion
will provide interpretations regarding the nucleation and
development of sinkholes.
The risk model associated with terrain collapse and sub‑
sidence reported in the study does not correspond to the
possibility of collapse and subsidence events in quantitative
terms. The model indicates areas that are more susceptible
to being affected by relief collapsing processes. This knowl‑
edge represents an important tool in land use and occupation
management of the region, where areas with lower suscepti‑
bility to surface bulging and consequent higher use potential
can be suggested, considering only the risk related to terrain
collapse and subsidence.
According to Salles (2017), the potentiometric surface in
the area suggests a flow that follows local topography, with
main NW–SE direction. In the map proposed by this author,
no anomalies were observed in the potentiometric surface
that could be associated with subsidence and collapse pro‑
cesses in the municipality. However, the map considered
only wells that were officially registered in the database of
the Water Resource and Environmental Engineering Com‑
pany of the State of Bahia (CERB) and, therefore, may not
represent the real situation of the region.
Field observations showed that terrain subsidence pro‑
cesses may be unleashed with groundwater overexploita‑
tion (Fig. 2), since the removal of water from underground
cavities may reduce the support provided by the walls of the
massif, leading to terrain instability. This fact was observed
Fig. 7  a Hazard factor associated with the lithologies found in the by Galvão et al. (2015) in a similar study conducted in an
region, summarized in three classes: carbonate rocks, carbonate rocks
covered by unconsolidated sediments, and non-carbonate rocks; b urban karst aquifer in the municipality of Sete Lagoas/
distribution of classes of the hazard factor associated with the den‑ MG, and by He et al. (2004) in the karst aquifer located
sity of lineaments; and c distribution of classes of the hazard factor in the province of Guizhou (China), who analyzed mecha‑
associated with the spatial distribution of sinkholes. Regions that pre‑ nisms that induce surface collapse in the region. Moreover,
sented a high number of lineaments coincided with those with high
number of sinkholes groundwater exploitation may increase the gradient and
ability to transport surface sediments towards the interior
of underground cavities, leading to subsidence, formation
of suffosion sinkholes, and accelerating abrasion processes.
occupied approximately 13% of the area of the municipal‑ Therefore, future studies should take groundwater exploita‑
ity, where 2.62 sinkholes per k­ m2 occurred. The moder‑ tion into consideration, using data that reveal the real situa‑
ate risk portion (in orange) occurred over 16.7% of the tion of the region, providing greater consistency to the Risk
area of the municipality, with 0.775 sinkhole per ­km2. In Index proposed in the present study.
turn, the low-risk region (in yellow) occupied 17.4% of the Results showed that areas with high susceptibility scores
municipality of Iraquara, where there was 0.15 sinkhole corresponded to regions where carbonate rocks outcrop and
per ­km2. Finally, the gray portion of the map corresponds present high photolineament densities. The latter consist of

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Environmental Earth Sciences (2018) 77:593 Page 9 of 11 593

Fig. 8  Distribution of classes of the risk model, sinkholes, and the moderate risk associated with collapse and subsidence of the area.
urbanized area of the municipality. The town area, located in the cen‑ However, the settlements of Iraquara are located in areas of low to no
tral portion of the map, is established on units that presented high to risk associated with terrain collapse and subsidence

the intersection between fault planes, fractures and rock bed‑ drainage network (Gao et al. 2005; Kemmerly 2006). This
ding planes and the terrain surface—interpreted as local dis‑ would consequently lead to a higher percentage of empty
continuities of the rocky massif. The presence of sinkholes spaces in the rocky massif. This fact presents a close cause
was favored in regions that presented high photolineament and effect relationship with photolineament densities and
densities possibly because of the association with higher evolution of kart systems, increasing the degree of risk asso‑
permeability and secondary porosity of rocks. Thus, authi‑ ciated with terrain collapse and subsidence in karst areas.
genic acidic water percolation is favored in these regions, The data listed and discussed in the study allow the
accelerating the process of void opening and rock karstifi‑ understanding that the nucleation of surface collapses in the
cation. A similar fact was observed by Hu et al. (2001) in municipality of Iraquara may also be associated with: (1) the
the municipality of Tangshan (China), where these authors occurrence of subsurface discontinuities; (2) carbonate rock
observed high probabilities for the nucleation of new sink‑ dissolution; (3) degree of karst evolution and underground
holes near active fault zones. voids; and (4) the presence of sedimentary cover over car‑
In addition, high rock permeability may facilitate, over bonate rocks; locally, the process may also be associated
time, the lixiviation and transport of unconsolidated mate‑ with (5) groundwater exploitation. The risk associated with
rial over rocks towards the interior of karst ducts, forming groundwater removal is not static. It can vary depending
depressions (suffosion sinkholes) on the relief. This process on the level of exploitation of aquifers, and the number and
occurs gradually and slowly, but can progress faster due to proximity of wells. Therefore, poor water resource manage‑
human interference. However, even when the process occurs ment can aggravate the risk associated with the formation of
slowly and gradually, it can cause countless material losses, collapse or subsidence sinkholes, since it can either reduce
as observed in the reports by Pereira (1998), Silva (1998), the support of walls inside rocky massifs or increase the
Galve et al. (2008), and Santos (2008). gradient and ability to transport sediments towards the inte‑
A close relationship was observed between index factors rior of voids.
associated with sinkhole density (Fig. 7c) and photolinea‑ This integrated and low-cost analysis produced satisfac‑
ment density (Fig. 7b). Areas that presented high sinkhole tory results for the comprehension and spatialization of ter‑
density could be related to regions with higher development rain collapse and subsidence in the municipality of Iraquara.
of tertiary porosity, forming a more evolved underground These analyses can be extrapolated to other karst regions

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where there is low groundwater exploitation. The disadvan‑ Bonfim LFC, Rocha AJD, Pedreira AJ, Morais Filho JC, Guimarães
tages of this approach consist of not considering the relation‑ JT, Tesch NA (1985) Projeto Bacia de Irecê. Relatório final.
CPRM. Três volumes. Contrato CPRM/SME/CPM
ship between sinkhole nucleation and groundwater removal CANIE—Cadastro Nacional de Informações Espeleológicas (2017)
and soil thickness over carbonate rocks. http://www.icmbi​o.gov.br/cecav​. Accessed 09 Feb 2017
Cheema TJ, Islan MR (1994) Comparison of cave passage ways
with fracture traces and joints in the black hills region of South
Dakota. Natl Speleol Soc Bull 56:96–103
Conclusion Cooper AH, Gutiérrez F (2013) Dealing with gypsum karst prob‑
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A Risk Index and the zoning of areas that present potential Geomorphology—Karst Geomorphol 6:451–462
Cruz FW (1998) Aspectos geomorfológicos e geoespeleologia do
for terrain collapse and subsidence were proposed based on carste da região de Iquara, centro norte da Chapada Diamantina.
the analysis of geological, lineage density, and sinkhole den‑ Instituto de Geociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Estado da
sity data in the municipality of Iraquara. The results obtained Bahia. São Paulo
were effective regarding the comprehension and spatializa‑ Elhatip H (1995) The influence of karst features on environmental
studies in Turkey. Environ Geol 31(1/2):27–33
tion of risk areas. This information can support territorial Ford DC, Williams PW (2007) Karst hydrogeology and geomorphol‑
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Acknowledgements This word was funded by the National Council for Sci 71:3443–3454
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to Professor Cícero Paixão, for providing the petrographic slides and risk assessment of karst collapse in Tangshan, China. Environ
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