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What Is a Karst Landscape?

geologygeography

Quick Answer

A karst landscape is terrain shaped by the dissolution of soluble bedrock (usually limestone), featuring sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage.

The Full Story

Karst topography forms when slightly acidic rainwater dissolves soluble rock over thousands to millions of years, creating sinkholes, disappearing streams, caves, and springs. About 15–20% of Earth ice-free land surface is karst or pseudokarst. Famous examples include the tower karst of Guilin in China, the cenotes of Mexico Yucatan Peninsula, and the Burren in Ireland. Karst aquifers supply drinking water to about 25% of the world population, but they are highly vulnerable to contamination because water flows rapidly through open conduits.

Key Facts

1.The word karst comes from the Kras Plateau in Slovenia, where the geomorphology was first studied scientifically.
2.Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, the world longest known cave system, stretches over 680 km.
3.Mexico cenotes are collapsed karst sinkholes that were sacred to the ancient Maya.

YouTube Angle

Suggested video title for this topic:

"Dissolving Rock — How Karst Landscapes Are Carved by Water"