Classification : Classified site / NATURA 2000 / SNA
Managing Organization : Management Syndicate of the Ardèche Gorges
Presentation :
A loss-resurgence model
The vent of Foussoubie is located at the entrance and on the right bank of the Gorges de l’Ardèche, between the famous Pont d’Arc and the canyon of Rieussec. It is the outlet of a vast underground network (23 km), fully explored and surveyed, developing from the Goule de Foussoubie.
Scientific or educational interests :
Hydrology : the Foussoubie network consists of the burial of the Planche stream in contact with emergency limestones. A series of tracings, a detailed knowledge of underground conduits, thanks to an exhaustive topography, and a monitoring of the water heights made it possible to model flows.
Geomorphology : One can observe an organization and a hierarchy of the conduits with the zone of loss and vertical transfer; the epi-drowned area characterized by comfortable roller coaster galleries with a large radius of curvature; the drowned area; the resurgence zone with staging of the outputs and calibration of the conduits. The fossil galleries and balance chimneys complete the picture.
Mediation : At the heart of an important touristic site, the accessibility and flash floods of the Foussoubie network have always marked the conscience of men.
Available datasets : Water height and temperature (2010–2019)
Thematic keywords : geomorphology, hydrogeology, hydrology, karstology
Keywords typology of sites : natural instrumented cave
Access modalities :
Cavities which are not fitted out for tourism are classified in a specific environment by the Sports Code (R212-7).
Therefore, group supervision outside the touristic circuits of furnished cavities requires specific skills, certified by a diploma (professional issued by the State or federal issued by the French Federation of Speleology).
Possible support :
Technical support during your outings underground by the Departmental Speleology Committee allows you to have :
- skills to ensure group security,
- standard and maintained speleology equipment (helmet with electric lighting, coveralls, harness, etc.),
- scientific equipment according to your needs (topographic survey, conductivity meter, multi-gas detector, temperature and pressure recording probes, etc.),
- documentation on the sector or the cavity (topography, bibliography, possibly a set of monitoring data)
- in-depth knowledge of the places in order to optimally implement your project.