The study area encompasses the karst section of the Ljubljanica River catchment, spanning from the Loško polje to the springs near Vrhnika. The aim of this master’s thesis was to determine the quantity, textural characteristics, and chemical composition of suspended sediments transported through the subterranean watercourses of the karst system, and to interpret the dynamics of their transport based on these properties. The research was grounded in a review of scientific and professional literature, which provided the basis for selecting sampling sites and conducting fieldwork. Laboratory analyses included granulometric analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and quantification of suspended sediment in water samples. The results reveal spatial variability in the chemical and textural composition of the sediments, highlighting the significant role of underground transport pathways in the redistribution of sediments, and reflecting the influence of lithological and hydrological characteristics of individual segments of the karst catchment. Statistical processing using Ward’s clustering method and classification models (Wentworth, USDA) enabled the identification and interpretation of sediment transport patterns. This thesis contributes to closing the knowledge gap regarding the dynamics of recent sediment transport in karst aquifers, an area that has not yet been systematically explored in Slovenia.
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