The Influence of Technogenic Factors on the Intensification of Karst on the Eastern Slope of the Urals in Russia

This article deals with two aspects of increased karst risk, at the border of Europe and Asia, caused by the processes of leaching and dissolution of rocks. Their activation and occurrence enhance under man-made conditions, including in areas of mining. Territories refer to the first group in limits karst rocks, where technical activization of a karst is created by the following technical factors: chemical, geodynamic, mechanical and hydrodynamic. The territories of the second group are not associated with natural karst rocks. Here, the processes of dissolution and leaching of rocks occur outside the zone of development of karst rocks in various subsurface and surface cavities flooded with groundwater in the post-operational period of mining production. Similarly to karst massifs, under certain conditions, an outflow of mine waters is formed from flooded mine workings, similar to karst siphon springs, with increased salinity, and other parameters. The activity of destruction and offset mineral components exceed natural conditions by 1–2 order, according to the analysis of leachings with sulphuric acid.