karst
Sign in to savethumb|Typical karst terrain of the Dinaric Alps thumb|Li River|Li Jiang fengcong (cone karst) in [[Guilin as part of the South China Karst]] thumb|Karst formation of the Serra de Tramuntana Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. There is some evidence that karst may occur in more weathering-resistant rocks such as quartzite given the right conditions.
AI overview
Karst is a type of landscape created when soluble rocks like limestone and dolomite dissolve away, producing distinctive features including underground caves and sinkholes along with surface valleys called poljes. This terrain matters because it creates unique environments that affect how water flows underground and shapes the geography of many regions around the world.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Early studies
- Development
- Chemistry of dissolution
- Morphology
- Interstratal karst
- Kegelkarst, salt karst, and karst forests
- Paleokarst
- Pseudokarst
- Hydrology
- Aquifers
- Effects of karst hydrology
- Karst areas
- List of terms for karst-related features
- Karst studies
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Typical karst terrain of the Dinaric Alps thumb|Li River|Li Jiang fengcong (cone karst) in [[Guilin as part of the South China Karst]] thumb|Karst formation of the Serra de Tramuntana Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. There is some evidence that karst may occur in more weathering-resistant rocks such as quartzite given the right conditions.
Subterranean drainage may limit surface water, with few if any rivers or lakes. In regions where the dissolved bedrock is covered (perhaps by debris) or confined by one or more superimposed non-soluble rock strata, distinctive karst features may occur only at subsurface levels and can be totally missing above ground.