Classification and characteristics of karst caves

• Posted by Binda BindaJD November 3, 2022 Filed in Technology #karst-cave monitoring systems  52 views
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  Karst refers to the landforms formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, especially carbonate rocks (such as limestone, gypsum, etc.), by the flowing water containing carbon dioxide, and sometimes by the deposition. They are often of peculiar shapes, including caves, rock buds, rock ditches, rock forests, caves, underground rivers and cliffs. This kind of landform area is often full of strange peaks. The old name karst is derived from a place name in the former Yugoslavia.

  Surface water has an important erosive effect on the sediments or rocks it passes through during its movement, including both the transport of debris under hydrodynamic action and the chemical dissolution of water on rocks or sediments, as well as the abrasion of debris during the transport process. Karst landscapes are the result of the erosive action of groundwater on carbonate rocks. Under the action of water flow, steep coasts, curved gullies, high ice erosion hanging valleys, and imposing grand canyons are formed. The "dripping water penetrates the stone" is also a reflection of the chemical erosion of water.

  1. Characteristics of caves

  The wide part of the cave is like a square, the narrow part is like a promenade, the high part is 30m high, the whole cave is winding and twisting on the plane, and it can be divided into three layers by hanging upward. In the rainy season, the entire cave has flowing water, which becomes an underground river and falls at the slope, forming waterfalls; in the early season, there is water in the local area, which becomes an underground lake, and there may be deep pools of water, which may be called bottomless pools. The largest cave in the world is Mammoth Cave in the Appalachian Mountains of North America, located in Kentucky, with a depth of 64km and a total length of 250km for all the forks.

  

  2. Main classification of caves

  According to its development and evolution, karst can be divided into the following six types.

  (1) Surface water is dissolved along the joint surface or fissure surface in the tuff, forming a karst groove (or karst trough), and the limestone originally distributed in layers is separated into stalagmites or stalagmites by the karst groove.

  ② surface water seepage and dissolution along the fracture of the limestone downward, more than 100m deep to form a water fall hole.

  ③The groundwater falling from the water fall cave will flow laterally to the aquifer and form a cave.

  ④With the formation of underground cave surface collapse, the collapse of the depth of large area is small, called collapse funnel, the depth of small area is large, called trap pond.

  ⑤ The combination of groundwater dissolution and collapse for a long period of time forms sloping valleys and natural bridges.

  ⑥The ground rises, the original caves and underground rivers are lifted out of the surface into dry valleys and stone forests, and the dissolution of groundwater continues under the old caves and underground rivers. The stone forest in Lunan, Yunnan, is the product of the first stage of the above-mentioned caves and valleys, and the natural scenery here is particularly charming because of the touching legend of the Ashima girl. The Elephant Trunk Hill in Guilin is formed by the original underground river channel exposed on the surface. In the territory of Guangxi, you can often see this kind of cave that is raised above the surface, commonly known as "Goddess Mirror" or "Fairy Mirror".

  In order to protect the landscape of caves from damage, some attractions have installed karst-cave monitoring systems to monitor them in real time.