Karst

Karst is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rock, often marked by caves, sinkholes, and underground drainage.

Carbonic acid: A weak acid formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water. Carbonic acid in rainwater and soil water dissolves limestone and helps initiate karst features.
Carbonate rock: Rock composed chiefly of carbonate minerals, especially calcite or dolomite. Carbonate rocks are the most widespread soluble substrates for karst landscapes.
Karst aquifer: An aquifer in soluble rock where groundwater moves through fractures, conduits, and caves. These aquifers supply water while allowing contaminants to travel rapidly underground.
Dinaric Alps: A mountain range extending along the eastern Adriatic, renowned for extensive karst terrain. The range’s classic karst features helped establish the scientific use of the term.
Karst hydrology: The study of water movement and storage in karst landscapes. Researchers use it to model drainage in systems with complex, poorly mapped conduits.
Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate. Its solubility in slightly acidic water makes limestone a common foundation for karst.
Dolomite: A carbonate mineral and rock composed of calcium magnesium carbonate. Dolomite can develop karst, though it generally dissolves more slowly than limestone.
Groundwater contamination: The presence of harmful substances in water beneath Earth’s surface. Rapid conduit flow can carry pollutants through karst with limited natural filtration.
Škocjan Caves: A cave system in Slovenia carved by the Reka River through limestone. Its underground canyon demonstrates how rivers shape large karst passages.
Tracer test: A method that tracks water flow by releasing and detecting a measurable substance. Tracer tests reveal connections between sinking streams, conduits, and springs.

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