Assoc. Prof. Nataša Viršek Ravbar, Ph. D.

Associate Professor at master degree study programme (2nd Cycle) Earth and Environmental Sciences and doctoral degree study programme (3rd cycle) Environmental and Regional Studies at Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU.


+386 5 700 19 31
natasa.ravbar@zrc-sazu.si

Associate Professor at master degree study programme (2nd level) Earth and Environmental Sciences where she is a course principal of the general elective course Ecohydrological processes and pressures in Karst and at doctoral degree study programme (3rd level) Environmental and Regional Studies at Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU where he is a course principal at common elective course Selected studies in karstology.

 

Education:

  • Sc. in Geography and Sinology (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, 2001);
  • D. in Karstology (University of Nova Gorica, Graduate School of Karstology, 2007).

 

Research work and interests:

Nataša Ravbar is mainly interested in the modes of water flow, hydrological temporal variability and the study of surface- and groundwater interactions in karst. She deals with the protection of karst and karst water sources and the assessment of the vulnerability and risk of water to contamination. She has considerable international experience in developing strategies for the protection of karst water sources. She has participated in and led a number of international and national projects. In a previous research project, she developed a general approach to assessing the vulnerability and risk of karst waters to contamination. The method has been deployed several times in karst areas at home and abroad. She publishes the results of her work in many domestic and foreign books and journals, which are included in SCI. She shares her knowledge as a university lecturer and thesis supervisor.



Main visiting appointments:

  • Academic year 1997/98: Undergraduate training in Xinzhu, Taiwan;
  • Academic year 1998/99: Undergraduate training at the Shaanxi Teacher’s University, Xian, and at the University of Yunnan, Kunming, People’s Republic of China;
  • May 2004: International scientific training at the Centre for Hydrogeology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland;
  • April 2010: International scientific training at the Centre for Hydrogeology, University of Malaga, Spain;
  • August 2019: Faculty of Mining and Geology, Department of Hydrogeology, University of Belgrade, Serbia.

Other:

  • Awarded by the World Federation of Scientists and the Slovene Scientific Foundation;
  • Member of the Scientific Committee for the organisation of the international annual congress International Karstological School “Classical Karst”;
  • Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Scientific Conference Geobalcanica, Skopje; of the International Congress of the IAH, Roma; of the International Symposium Karst 2018 – Expect the unexpected, Trebinje; convener of the sessions at the EGU General Assembly (Vienna);
  • Peer reviews for the following journals (alphabetical order): Acta Carsologica, Applied Geochemistry, Earth-Science Reviews, Engineering Geology, Environmental Earth Sciences, Geodinamica Acta, Ground Water, Hydrogeology Journal, Hydrological Processes, Journal of Cave and Karst Sciences, Journal of Environmental Management, Journal of Hydrology, Science of the Total Environment and others;
  • Member of the Editorial Board of the international journal Research in Tourism and Karst Areas; Urban Challenge; Acta Geobalcanica; Acta Geoscientica Sinica; Grundwasser;
  • 2008–2016: Vice-President of the Karst Commission of the International Geographical Union;
  • 2009–2013: Assistant Director and coordinator of the UNESCO’s Chair of Karstology, Uiversity of Nova Gorica;
  • 2012–present: Co-editor of the Acta Carsologica international journal (included in the SCI).

Selected publications:

  • PETRIČ, Metka, RAVBAR, Nataša, GOSTINČAR, Petra, KRSNIK, Petra, GACIN, Marina. GIS database of groundwater flow characteristics in carbonate aquifers: tracer test inventory from Slovenian karst. Applied geography, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143622820301582?via%3Dihub, doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102191
  • RAVBAR, Nataša, MAYAUD, Cyril, BLATNIK, Matej, PETRIČ, Metka. Determination of inundation areas within karst poljes and intermittent lakes for the purposes of ephemeral flood mapping. Hydrogeology journal, doi: 10.1007/s10040-020-02268-x.
  • OLARINOYE, Tunde, GLEESON, Tom, MARX, Vera, SEEGER, Stefan, ADINEHVAND, Rouhollah, ALLOCCA, Vincenzo, ANDREO, Bartolomé, APAÉSTEGUI, James, APOLIT, Christophe, ARFIB, Bruno, BLATNIK, Matej, RAVBAR, Nataša, et al. Global karst springs hydrograph dataset for research and management of the world’s fastest-flowing groundwater. Scientific data, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-019-0346-5, doi: 10.1038/s41597-019-0346-5.
  • KOVAČIČ, Gregor, PETRIČ, Metka, RAVBAR, Nataša. Evaluation and Qualification of the Effects of Climate and Vegetation Cover Change on Karst Water Sources: Case Studies of Two Springs in South-Western Slovenia. Water, https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113087, doi: 10.3390/w12113087.
  • MAYAUD, Cyril, GABROVŠEK, Franci, BLATNIK, Matej, KOGOVŠEK, Blaž, PETRIČ, Metka, RAVBAR, Nataša. Understanding flooding in poljes : a modelling perspective. Journal of Hydrology, doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2019.04.092.
  • PETRIČ, Metka, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, RAVBAR, Nataša. Effects of the vadose zone on groundwater flow and solute transport characteristics in mountainous karst aquifers: the case of the Javorniki-Snežnik massif (SW Slovenia). Acta carsologica, https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/5144/6593, doi: 10.3986/ac.v47i1.5144.
  • VIŽINTIN, Goran, RAVBAR, Nataša, JANEŽ, Jože, KOREN, Eva, JANEŽ, Naško, ZINI, Luca, TREU, Francesco, PETRIČ, Metka. Integration of models of various types of aquifers for water quality management in the transboundary area of the Soča/Isonzo river basin (Slovenia/Italy). Science of the total environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.017, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.017.
  • TURPAUD, Philippe, ZINI, Luca, RAVBAR, Nataša, CUCCHI, Franco, PETRIČ, Metka, URBANC, Janko. Development of a protocol for the karst water source protection zoning: application to the Classical Karst Region (NE Italy and SW Slovenia). Water resources management, doi: 10.1007/s11269-017-1882-4.
  • KOIT, Oliver, RAVBAR, Nataša, MARANDI, Andres, TERASMAA, Jaanus. Threshold-controlled three-stage hydraulic behaviour of a mantled shallow carbonate aquifer (Tuhala karst area, North Estonia). Acta carsologica, https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/carsologica/article/view/4951/6252, doi: 10.3986/ac.v46i2-3.4951.
  • RAVBAR, Nataša, ŠEBELA, Stanka. The effectiveness of protection policies and legislative framework with special regard to karst landscapes: insights from Slovenia. Environmental science & policy, doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2015.02.013.
  • TURK, Janez, MALARD, Arnauld, JEANNIN, Pierre-Yves, PETRIČ, Metka, GABROVŠEK, Franci, RAVBAR, Nataša, VOUILLAMOZ, Jonathan, SLABE, Tadej, SORDET, Valentin. Hydrogeological characterization of groundwater storage and drainage in an alpine karst aquifer (the Kanin massif, Julian Alps). Hydrological processes, doi: 10.1002/hyp.10313.
  • RAVBAR, Nataša, BARBERÁ, Juan Antonio, PETRIČ, Metka, KOGOVŠEK, Janja, ANDREO NAVARRO, Bartolomé. The study of hydrodynamic behaviour of a complex karst system under low-flow conditions using natural and artificial tracers (the catchment of the Unica River, SW Slovenia). Environmental earth sciences, http://www.springerlink.com/content/1866-6280/65/8/, doi: 10.1007/s12665-012-1523-4.
  • RAVBAR, Nataša, ENGELHARDT, Irina, GOLDSCHEIDER, Nico. Anomalous behaviour of specific electrical conductivity at a karst spring induced by variable catchment boundaries: the case of the Podstenjšek spring, Slovenia. Hydrological processes, doi: 10.1002/hyp.7966.
  • KOVAČIČ, Gregor, RAVBAR, Nataša. Extreme hydrological events in karsts areas of Slovenia, the case of the Unica River basin. Geodinamica Acta, 2010, 23, 1/3, str. 89-100.
  • VÍAS, Jesus, ANDREO NAVARRO, Bartolomé, RAVBAR, Nataša, HÖTZL, Heinz. Mapping the vulnerability of groundwater to the contamination of four carbonate aquifers in Europe. Journal of environmental management, 2010, 91, 7, 1500-1510.
  • RAVBAR, Nataša, GOLDSCHEIDER, Nico. Comparative application of four methods of groundwater vulnerability mapping in a Slovene karst catchment. Hydrogeology journal, 2009, 17, 3, 725-733.
  • ANDREO NAVARRO, Bartolomé, RAVBAR, Nataša, VIAS, J. M. Source vulnerability mapping in carbonate (karst) aquifers by extension of the COP method: application to pilot sites. Hydrogeology journal, 2009, 17, 3, 749-758.
  • RAVBAR, Nataša, GOLDSCHEIDER, Nico. Proposed methodology of vulnerability and contamination risk mapping for the protection of karst aquifers in Slovenia, 2007, 36, 3, 397-411.

MODULE GENERAL ELECTIVE COURSES

Study Subjects
Calendar
Enrolment