Karsts des craies et calcarénites de la Montagne Saint-Pierre (BasseMeuse liégeoise), 2007, Luc Willems Joë, L Rodet Camille Ek Michiel Dusar David Lagrou Matthieu Fournier Benoî, T Laignel And André, Pouclet

The ?Montagne Saint-Pierre? (Sint Pietersberg) is a separate part of the Hesbaye plateau, isolated between the lower valleys of the Geer and the Meuse rivers. It is exploited by a big open-air quarry and by numerous underground quarries developing galleries on hundreds of kilometers long. Excavated in Cretaceous chalk and calcarenite, these artificial networks allow an exceptional 3-D observation of karsts inside a very porous and permeable rock, less favourable to a concentrated solution. The most numerous of them are ?organ pipes? or ?earth pipes?. They are vertical tubular solution pipes that may exceed 60 m in depth. Sponge networks and subhorizontal caves occur, without any visible connection with fracturation. Finally, downwards to at least 20 m below the alluvial plain of the Meuse river, pluridecametric nodes of weathered chalk are found. By their size and rounded morphology, the nodes resemble to the natural caves occurring in the calcarenite and intersected by the underground quarries. All the studied karsts allow us to propose a scenario for the genesis of a polyphase karst system. Independently of surface conditions, caves are generated deeply in the phreatic zone (endokarsts). During the downcutting of theMeuse valley, and related to the fluvial terraces, solution pipes (input karsts) are generated. Due to the valley incision and to the lowering of the aquifer,theses solution pipes progress downward and cut the endokarsts. A concentrated water circulation takes place. In the dewatered upper part of the system, caves cut by solution pipes are rapidly filled by superficial deposits. The high porosity of the calcarenite makes it comparable to a sponge. The rock absorbs quickly the out-flows coming from the surface and causes a rapid deposit of the fine particles transported inside horizontal passages. The sealing of these conduits allows their conservation inside a very crumbly rock.