what is karst course hero

What is karst geology?

Karst is a type of landscape where the dissolving of the bedrock has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, and other characteristic features.

What is an example of a karst landscape?

Examples include lava caves and granite tors—for example, Labertouche Cave in Victoria, Australia—and paleocollapse features. Mud Caves are an example of pseudokarst.

What is karst topography Upsc?

Karst Topography is the formation of landforms due to solution and deposition on any limestone or dolomitic region by the action of groundwater or surface water. Landforms and its evolution is an important segment of the Geography syllabus of the IAS Exam.

What causes karst landforms?

Description. Karst landforms are created by water sinking and circulating underground, and the resulting chemical erosion of bedrock. For this reason, the development of karst landforms is limited to areas where comparatively soluble rocks — principally limestone — exist.

Where are Karsts found?

Karsts are found in widely scattered sections of the world, including the Causses of France; the Kwangsi area of China; the Yucatán Peninsula; and the Middle West, Kentucky, and Florida in the United States.

What are the features of a karst landscape?

Karst landscapes can be worn away from the top or dissolved from a weak point inside the rock. Karst landscapes feature caves, underground streams and sinkholes on the surface. Where erosion has worn away the land above ground, steep rocky cliffs are visible. Shilin is a karst formation in southern China.

What are the types of karst?

The most common types of karst landforms are:Enclosed depressions (including sinkholes and dolines)Sinking streams or swallow holes.Springs.Dry valleys.Caves.Turloughs.Estevelles.Limestone pavement.More items...

How many types of karst are there?

Karst types can be divided into two large categories: static and dynamic (according to development) groups (Table 1). A static karst group gives the main characteristics of the categorized karst area at a given time.

What is karst landscape in geography?

A karst region is an area of bare limestone rock that is being worn down by chemical weathering. Distinctive landforms form including the swallow hole. FORMATION. Swallow holes form on the limestone bedrock of a river. The constant flow of water makes the limestone vulnerable to weathering.

Why are karst landscapes important?

Karst landscapes are important for the climate because of their carbon dioxide binding capacity. Through their complex underwater systems they provide drinking water to people all over the world.

What is the difference between a cave and karst?

In karst, spaces or conduits form in the subsurface that allow for rapid movement of groundwater. Water moves quickly from the earth's surface underground in these places. Naturally formed underground spaces that people can enter are called caves.

Which rocks most commonly form karst landforms?

Karst landscapes are predominantly composed of limestone rock that contains > 70 percent calcium carbonate. landform formed by chemical solution in carbonate limestone rocks.

What are the types of karst landforms?

The most common types of karst landforms are:Enclosed depressions (including sinkholes and dolines)Sinking streams or swallow holes.Springs.Dry valleys.Caves.Turloughs.Estevelles.Limestone pavement.More items...

What continents have karst landscapes?

Africa.Asia.Europe.North America.Central America and Caribbean.South America.Oceania.References.

Are there karst landscapes in Australia?

As much as 15% of the Australian continent is made up of karst landscape. However, only 4% can be seen at the ground surface. This means a large number of karst landscapes are underground. Karst areas occur mostly along the southern, eastern and western margins of the continent.

How many types of karst are there?

Karst types can be divided into two large categories: static and dynamic (according to development) groups (Table 1). A static karst group gives the main characteristics of the categorized karst area at a given time.

Why is karst important?

And why is it important? Karst is a special type of landscape that is formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, including limestone and dolomite. Karst regions contain aquifers that are capable of providing large supplies of water. More than 25 percent of the world’s population either lives on or obtains its water from karst aquifers.

What are the characteristics of a karst?

Common geological characteristics of karst regions that influence human use of its land and water resources include ground subsidence, sinkhole collapse, groundwater contamination, and unpredictable water supply.

What are some examples of karst landscapes?

Examples include the sinkhole plains and caves of central Kentucky, the large crystal-clear springs of Florida, and the complex, beautifully decorated caves of New Mexico.

What are the features of karst?

The list of karst features resulted from dissolution and erosional karstification processes is long and includes variety of micro and macro surficial and underground objects. Among them are karrens or lapies, dolines or sinkholes, uvalas, poljes, blind and hanging valleys, sinking streams, caverns (Figure 3), ponors or swallow holes (Figure 4), potholes, caves (Figure 5).

Where is Karst located?

by Neven Kresic (Water in Karst, Mc Graw Hill, 2013, p. xiii) “ Karst is a scientific term named after the geographic district between Slovenia and Trieste, Italy, which has a very distinct landscape. It is a Germanized word for “carso” (in Italian) and “kras” in (Slovene); all the three words are derived from the Indo-European word “kar” ...

What are the dominant types of rocks of which karstic aquifer consists?

According to the dominant type of rocks of which karstic aquifer consists the following classification can be made: Carbonate karst aquifer, Dolomitic karst aquifer, Marble karst aquifer, Chalky karst aquifer, Anhydritic karst aquifer, Gypsum karst aquifer, Halitic karst aquifer.

What are the two main groups of sedimentary karstic rocks?

25-29, 49) “ Sedimentary karstic rocks can be generally classified into the two major groups: carbonate rocks. evaporite rocks. The carbonate rocks are formed from calcium and magnesium minerals: calcite, dolomite, aragonite and magnesite, ...

How much does the water table fluctuate in a karst aquifer?

Variability: The water table in karst aquifers can sometimes fluctuate 10s or even 100s of metres in short periods of time, and karst springs typically show rapid variations of discharge and water quality.”.

How is hypogene karst formed?

Hypogene karst: Generated by deep energy, fluid and gas sources including retrograde calcite solubility, mixing corrosion by different fluids induced by cross-formational flow, and dissolution by geogenic acids. It can evolve in deep confined karst areas associated with lukewarm and thermal water of regional or intermediate flow systems without any significant surface features.

Why is continuous monitoring of water quantity and quality important in karst hydrogeologic studies?

Hydrologic methods: Due to the high variability of flow rates of sinking streams, cave streams and karst springs, continuous monitoring of water quantity and quality is crucial in karst hydrogeologic studies.

Who was the first person to study karst?

Johann Weikhard von Valvasor, a pioneer of the study of karst in Slovenia and a fellow of the Royal Society for Improving Natural Knowledge, London, introduced the word karst to European scholars in 1689, describing the phenomenon of underground flows of rivers in his account of Lake Cerknica.

Where did the word "karst" come from?

The English word karst was borrowed from German Karst in the late 19th century, which entered German much earlier. According to one interpretation the term is derived from the German name for a number of geological, geomorphological, and hydrological features found within the range of the Dinaric Alps, stretching from the northeastern corner of Italy above the city of Trieste, across the Balkan peninsula along the coast of the eastern Adriatic to Kosovo and North Macedonia, where the massif of the Šar Mountains begins, and more specifically the karst zone at the northwesternmost section, described in early topographical research as a plateau, between Italy and Slovenia .

What is the role of oxidation in karst formation?

The oxidation of sulfides leading to the formation of sulfuric acid can also be one of the corrosion factors in karst formation.

What are the features of a karst landscape?

The karstification of a landscape may result in a variety of large- or small-scale features both on the surface and beneath. On exposed surfaces, small features may include solution flutes (or rillenkarren), runnels, limestone pavement (clints and grikes), collectively called karren or lapiez. Medium-sized surface features may include sinkholes or cenotes (closed basins), vertical shafts, foibe (inverted funnel shaped sinkholes), disappearing streams, and reappearing springs. Large-scale features may include limestone pavements, poljes, and karst valleys. Mature karst landscapes, where more bedrock has been removed than remains, may result in karst towers, or haystack/eggbox landscapes. Beneath the surface, complex underground drainage systems (such as karst aquifers) and extensive caves and cavern systems may form.

What is the topography of Karst?

Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering -resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions.

When did karst hydrology emerge?

In a 1918 publication, Cvijić proposed a cyclical model for karstic landscape development. Karst hydrology emerged as a discipline in the late 1950s and early 1960s in France.

Why is paleokarst important?

The study of paleokarst (buried karst in the stratigraphic column) is important in petroleum geology because as much as 50% of the world's hydrocarbon reserves are hosted in carbonate rock, and much of this is found in porous karst systems.

What are the resources of karst?

Caves and karst resources include valuable groundwater supplies, endangered species, important archaeological deposits and unique and irreplaceable mineral formations. Lack of awareness of the karst topography in cave localities leads to a variety of human induced land use problems such as flooding, sinkhole collapse and groundwater contamination.

What is the Karst landscape?

Karst is a unique landscape that is characterized by caves, sinkholes, springs and disappearing streams. Approximately 20 percent of the United States is underlain by Karst and few Americans living in these special areas understand the geologic conditions and/or how to prevent environmental problems associated with karst regions.

When was Living with Karst A Fragile Foundation published?

Living With Karst A Fragile Foundation was published in 2001 as part of the American Geosciences Institute’s (AGI) Environmental Awareness Series.

Do Americans live in karst?

Although millions of Americans live in karst areas and are affected by problems related to them, most Americans do not have a good understanding of these resources. Cave resources are “out-of-sight” and therefore, “out-of-mind.”

What are some of the features of karst?

Some of the large-scale karst features include karst valleys and poljes. Complex systems of underground drainage and large caverns and cave systems are formed below the surface. Another notable karst topography is the common makatea surface in the tropics, formed by erosion along the limestone shoreline. Also Read: Deadliest and Dangerous Beaches.

What is the process of karst formation?

The karst formation process is linked to what is known as the “carbon dioxide cascade” . The process takes place when the surface of the basements, especially around cracks, is degraded by acidic water. Karst formation varies from region to region.

What is the karst landscape?

The term “karst” refers to a particular type of landscape resulting from the dissolution of soluble rocks, including limestone and gypsum. The landscape is characterized by natural features such as caves and springs that feed more than 25% of the world’s population.

How long does it take for a karst to form?

The karst formation process is a geological process that takes many years, resulting in unique surface and subsoil formations, some of which form drainage systems and complex underground caves. Around 10% of the earth’s surface is occupied by the karstic landscape.

Which country has the largest limestone karst?

The Nullarbor Plain in Australia is the largest limestone karst in the world. It occupies an area of ​​approximately 77,000 square miles. Slovenia is one of the most exposed chasms in the world. Highland Rim in the western United States is the second highest karst hazard in the world.

Common Features

Most caves are formed when a rather narrow range of physio-geographic conditions have been met, and, therefore, when one discovers a cave, they can almost be certain that they are in one of the karst areas of the world.

Where Karst Can Be Found?

Karst is not specific to a certain geographic area on Earth, but scattered throughout, to be found on all continents but Antarctica, in over 60 countries of the world.

Effects On Human Life

Flock of sheep in a karst landscape. Due to the low water retention of the top soil in such areas, the vegetation takes time to replenish leading to problems in livestock grazing.

Karst Ecosystem

Male Spanish wild goat on a rock at the beautiful karst landscape of El Torcal de Antequera, Spain.