The last stage of the
erosion cycle in a
karst zone.
Previous cycles saw water infiltrating a massive limestone formation,
dissolving calcium carbonate and making carbonic acid, which enlarged
holes in the rock into caves. As time passed, the caves grew bigger and
bigger, eventually linking with each other. At some point, the entire area
was undermined and sinkholes began to form. Perhaps several episodes
of sea level rise and fall helped.
Eventually all that is left are the areas of the limestone formation
which were less pervious to water than surrounding areas. Sometimes
these lie close together, forming conical hills called "cone karst".
In other places, fantastic towers of limestone poke up to 200-300 meters
of flat alluvial valleys, or out of the sea .
Tower karst usually appears in subtropical and tropical areas, the best
known areas of tower karst appear in southern China (the area around
Guilin being especially picturesque) , but the terrain also appears in
Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Australia, Jamaica,
Puerto Rico. It is possible that Florida will look
like this in a million years or so.
_ww_ w_w
/ ww \ /ww | _w_ www
|ww w | | w \ w|www\ /ww |w
/ www | |w ww| /w ww| |ww ww\
| ww ww \ / www | __ | www| | wwww|
| wwww w| |wwwww \ |""\ |ww w\ |ww ww|
---|wwww w |---| wwww |-|"" |-/ w ww |------/ww ww w\--------
/ wwww \ | wWW Ww \/___\| ww w w |_____|ww www |
_W_WW__ | ----_____| |wWwwwWW \ ~ / WwW Ww \_______
\---- _WW_WW__ ---______|~ _/ WWW WWW |
WWW WW |========| WWWWWW | / ~ | WWWWWWWW \ ~ ~
WWWW | /WW WW W |\ | ~ |_W_WWW_W_WWW|
WWWW \ w | W W WWW|\\____/ ~ |/\ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WWWWW \ | WW WWW W\ \___ ~ _|_|_ ~ ~ ~ ~
WW W WWWW| | W WWWWWW| \ ~ \___/~ _WWWW__W_ ~ ~
W WWW WW \ WW_W_WWW_ WWWWW | / ~ ~ ~ / W WW WW \ ~
WWWWW WW / WW WW | # \ / ~ ~ ~ | W WWWWW |~ ~
_WW_WWW_W| WW WWW W | WWWW |/ ~ ~ ~ / WWWW WW W\ ~
| WWW WW WW\ /