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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
Timescale
Timescale (category)
Days 1
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

Shaped

Cave, Landforms
Source Cave (Wikipedia)
Chocolate Hills, Landforms
Source Chocolate Hills (Wikipedia)
Driftless Area, Regions
Source Driftless Area (Wikipedia)
Ha Long Bay, Bodies of Water
Source Hạ Long Bay (Wikipedia)
Karst, Landforms
Source Karst (Wikipedia)
Polje, Landforms
Source Polje (Wikipedia)
Sinkhole, Landforms
Source Sinkhole (Wikipedia)
The Ozarks, Regions
Source The Ozarks (Wikipedia)
Yucatan Peninsula, Landforms
Source Yucatán Peninsula (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Karst (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • 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).
  • Shaped: Karst, Lead paragraph
    Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite.
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
Polje (Wikipedia)
Shaped: Polje, Lead
Quote, Shaped: Polje, Lead
is a large flat plain found in karstic geological regions of the world
View the Source
The Ozarks (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationShaped: The Ozarks, Formation statement for target 265955
Quote, Shaped: The Ozarks, Formation statement for target 265955
Karst features such as springs, losing streams, sinkholes and caves are common in the limestones of the Springfield Plateau and abundant in the dolomite bedrock of the Salem Plateau and Boston Mountains.
View the Source
Chocolate Hills (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationShaped: Chocolate Hills, Formation statement for target 265955
Quote, Shaped: Chocolate Hills, Formation statement for target 265955
These conical hills are geomorphological features called cockpit karst, which were created by a combination of the dissolution of limestone by rainfall, surface water, and groundwater, and their subaerial erosion by streams after they had been uplifted above sea level and fractured by tectonic processes.
View the Source
Yucatán Peninsula (Wikipedia)
Shaped: Yucatan Peninsula, Formation statement for target 265955
Quote, Shaped: Yucatan Peninsula, Formation statement for target 265955
The whole of the Yucatán Peninsula is an unconfined flat lying karst landscape.
View the Source
Sinkhole (Wikipedia)
Shaped: Sinkhole, Lead
Quote, Shaped: Sinkhole, Lead
Most sinkholes are caused by karst processes, the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks, collapse or suffosion processes.
View the Source
Hạ Long Bay (Wikipedia)
Shaped: Ha Long Bay, Lead
Quote, Shaped: Ha Long Bay, Lead
It features thousands of limestone karsts and islets in various shapes and sizes, for which it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular travel destination.
View the Source
Driftless Area (Wikipedia)
Shaped: Driftless Area, Lead
Quote, Shaped: Driftless Area, Lead
Its landscape is characterized by steep hills, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys, and karst geology with spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams.
View the Source
Cave (Wikipedia)
Shaped: Cave, Lead and geology text
Quote, Shaped: Cave, Lead and geology text
Most caves are formed in limestone by dissolution.
View the Source
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