Abstract:

The cave of Alistrati, is located in the Prefecture of Serres, Northern Greece near the foothills of
Mount Menoikio, in the area of Petroto. This area is structured by crystalline limestones, where the
development of a complex and multilevel karst system is favored. An extensive geomorphological
survey was carried out for the accurate mapping of the karst surface above the cave, using UAS. For
the investigation of a possible lateral extension of the existing karstic conduit, a detailed surface
geophysical investigation was carried out. More specifically, three geophysical techniques were
implemented: a) the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), b) the Ground Penetrating Radar
(GPR) technique and c) the Very-Low Frequency (VLF) method. These 13 lines of the three
geophysical techniques are fully matched at 4 locations and were join-interpreted, yielding remarkable
findings. The comparative results of the above geophysical techniques, as well as their 3D
presentation, highlight similar geophysical anomalies, evaluated as different types of karst system
structures. Therefore, the combined geophysical survey has indicated the existence and
interconnection of the first two karst levels of the area, up to a depth of 50m, as well as the possible
extension of the Alistrati karstic conduit to the northeast.

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