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Dissolving bedrock creates sinkholes and underground drainage systems
Chemical weathering of soluble rocks shapes distinctive karst landscapes
Karst topography develops in regions where soluble bedrock like limestone, dolomite, or gypsum dissolves under acidic groundwater action. Over thousands of years, underground dissolution hollows out subterranean caverns, sinkholes, and disappearing streams. When cavern roofs collapse under weight, catastrophic sinkholes open suddenly at the surface.
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Tags: earth science, geology, karst
Dissolving bedrock creates sinkholes and underground drainage systems: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Chemical weathering of soluble rocks shapes distinctive karst landscapes. The figure is taken from USGS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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