An example of karst terminology evolution: from “Dolina” to “Tiankeng”

Karstology is a living science and the terminology has to follow its evolution. An example is the term doline. The first scientific descriptions (1848) of the region Kras (Karst, Slovenia) introduced the term, taken from the local language. It meant what we now call a solution doline. Under the same name a collapse doline was included. For quite a long time geologists used the term doline for a collapse doline. They called other types of dolines “Trichter” (funnel). In Cviji?’s “Karst ph?nomen” the chapter Doline covers all smaller depressions, except uvalas and poljes. This means not only solution dolines and collapse dolines but also shafts, ponors, some karst springs and some entrances to the caves. Precision related to the term dolina in other languages is often lacking too. From American literature we got the word sinkhole. It also has several meanings. Few years ago Chinese researchers started to introduce Chinese term tiankeng for a collapse doline. Future will show if we are going to get another term for collapse doline or a new term for a special type of a collapse doline.