Karst Landscapes Explained

Karst landscapes form dramatic hills and caves worldwide.

Karst forms from dissolving carbonate rocks like limestone and dolomite.

River emerges from a karst cave in limestone.

Weak acid slowly dissolves calcium carbonate in bedrock.

Karst landscapes often lack rivers, relying on underground drainage.

Sinkholes form when underground caves collapse to the surface.

Tropical karst shows cone-shaped hills called kegelkarst terrain.

Turloughs are seasonal lakes filling and drying in karst areas.

Karst aquifers drain water rapidly through large underground conduits.

Groundwater flows in karst aquifers up to 7 miles per day.

Speleothems form inside caves by mineral deposits over time.

Pollution spreads fast in karst because groundwater flows rapidly.