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Physical Process

Karstification

The base word karst is pronounced /karst/ (rhymes with heart-st).
Also Known As Karst
Geomorphology

Karstification is the process by which soluble carbonate rock, chiefly limestone and dolomite, dissolves to form caves, sinkholes and underground drainage systems, most strongly developed where rainfall is moderate to heavy and the water table is relatively low. The Nullarbor Plain in Australia and the South China Karst are among its largest known examples. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Process Type
Geomorphological 1
Timescale
Groundwater moves fast through karst conduits: dye tracing at Barton Springs in the Edwards Aquifer of Texas measured flow of 0.5 to 7 miles a day, far quicker than an ordinary porous aquifer, so a karst system can carry a contaminant from a sinkhole to a spring within days. 1
First Proposed Year
1893 2
Karstification
Filter Results3 entries

Sinkhole Formation

Karstification

Speleogenesis

Karstification

Weathering

Karstification
Connections

Caused By

Groundwater Flow, Physical Processes
Weathering, Physical Processes

Dissolution (also called simple or congruent dissolution) is classed as a chemical-weathering process; karst forms where that weathering process acts on soluble carbonate rock.

Source Karst (Wikipedia)

Causes

Sinkhole Formation, Physical Processes
Speleogenesis, Physical Processes
Sources
1. Karst (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead
    Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite.
  • Lead section
    Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite.
  • Hydrology, Aquifers section
    Groundwater flow rate in karst aquifers is much more rapid than in porous aquifers. For example, in the Barton Springs, within the Edwards Aquifer, dye traces measured the karst groundwater flow rates from 0.5 to 7 miles per day (0.8 to 11.3 km/d).
View the Source
2. Jovan Cvijic (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationBiography, works section
Quote, Biography, works section
His first major work was Das Karstphanomen published in 1893.
View the Source
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