Proceedings of the International Congress of Speleology (ICS)

The International Congress of Speleology (ICS) is promoted by the UIS to keep Member Countries informed about the “State-of-the-art” of speleology around the world. At these congresses, papers are presented on the various facets of speleology, including scientific areas, technical endeavors and cultural themes related to caves.

Presented papers are published in the proceedings of these congresses which you can find below.

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18^th ICS – France: Karst: Heritage & Ressources

Location: Bourget-du-Lac (Savoie), France
Dates: 2022
Organization: French Federation of Speleology

Proceedings:
Volume 1 – Heritage & Ecology
Volume 2 – Explorations & History
Volume 3 – Physical Speleology
Volume 4 – Geomorphology
Volume 5 – Karstic sediment, Palaeontology, Archaeology
Volume 6 – Techniques & Societies

17^th ICS – Australia: Caves in an Ancient Land

Location: Sydney, Australia
Dates: 2017
Organization: Australian Speleological Federation (ASF)

Proceedings:
Proceedings Volume 1
Proceedings Volume 2

16^th ICS – Czech Republic: The land “where history meets future”

Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Dates: 2013
Organization: Czech Speleological Society (CSS)

Proceedings:
Congress Volume 1
Congress Volume 2
Congress Volume 3

15^th ICS – United States of America: The first country to organize an ICS twice

Location: Kerville, Texas, USA
Dates: 2009
Organization: National Speleological Society (NSS)

Proceedings:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3

14^th ICS – Greece: The ICS in the land of democracy

Location: Kalamos, Greece
Dates: 2005
Organization: Hellenic Speleological Society, Hellenic Federation of Speleology, Ephorate of Paleoanthropology and Speleology of Ministry of Culture

Proceedings:
Proceedings Volume 1
Proceedings Volume 2

13^th ICS – Brazil: The first congress in the Southern Hemisphere

Location: Brasilia/DF, Brazil
Dates: 2001
Organization: Brazilian Speleological Society (SBE)

Proceedings:
Volume I and II

12^th ICS – Switzerland: Congress in the digital age

Location: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Dates: 1997

Proceedings:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4
Volume 5
Volume 6

11^th ICS – China: The first congress in Asia

Location: Beijing, China
Dates: 1993
Organization: Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Proceedings:
Volume I
Volume II

10^th ICS – Hungary: The final congress behind the Iron Curtain

Location: Budapest, Hungary
Dates: 1989
Organization: Hungarian Speleological Society

Proceedings:
Volume I
Volume II
Volume III

9^th ICS – Spain: Back in Europe

Location: Barcelona, Spain
Dates: 1986
Organization: Catalan Federation of Speleology

Proceedings:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3

8^th ICS – United States of America: First ICS outside of Europe

Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
Dates: 1981
Organization: Department of Geography and Geology of Western Kentucky University

Proceedings:
Volume 1
Volume 2
Guidebook to Karst of the Central Appalachians
Guidebook to the Historic Section of Mammoth Cave
Guidebook to Karst and Caves of Tennessee and Missouri

7^th ICS – England: Still in Europe

Location: Sheffield, England
Dates: 1977
Organization: British Cave Research Association

Proceedings:
Volume 1

6^th ICS – Czechoslovakia: Behind the Iron Curtain

Location: Olomouc, Czechoslovakia (present day Czech Republic)
Dates: 1973

Proceedings:
Volume I – Reports and statistics of the 6^th ICS and Karst Geology
Volume II – Karst Geomorphology
Volume III – Geomorphology of Underground Karst Phenomena
Volume IV – Karst Hydrology and Climatology
Volume V – Biospeleology and Karst Paleontology
Volume VI – Speleoarcheology
Volume VII – Applied Speleology
Volume VIII – Applied Speleology

5^th ICS – West Germany: Organization of the UIS

Location: Stuttgart, West Germany (present day Germany)
Dates: 1969
Organization: Verband der Deutschen Hohlen- und Karstforscher e.V.m Munchen

Proceedings:
Volume 1 – Karst Morphology
Volume 2 – Speleogenesis I
Volume 3 – Speleogenesis II and Archeology
Volume 4 – Biospeleology
Volume 5 – Karst Hydrology
Volume 6 – Documentation and Tourism in caves

4^th ICS – Yugoslavia: Founding of the UIS

Location: Ljubljana, Yugoslavia (present day Slovenia), with the opening ceremony in Postojna Cave
Dates: 1965
Organization: Speleological Federation of Yugoslavia

Proceedings:
Volume 1-2 – Manifestations of the Congress; Reports of the Plenary Session
Volume 3 – Physical Speleology
Volume 4-5 – Biospeleology, Prehistoric Speleology
Volume 6 – Speleological Techniques and Exploration; Underground Tourism

3^rd ICS – Austria: The dream continues

Location: Vienna, Obertraun and Salzburg, Austria
Dates: 1961
Organization: Verband  Osterreichischer Hohlenforscher

Proceedings:
Volume I – Program of the congress
Volume II – Geospeleology
Volume III – Biospeleology
Volume IV – Speleopaleontology, Anthropospeleology and Technical Speleology
Volume V – Karst hydrography and Speleomorphology