Interior of cave
Google map
Speedwell Cavern in Derbyshire, England, a karst cave

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Karst caves, also known as solution caves, are the most common type of cave.[1]

Karst is a landscape typically formed by the solution of carboniferous rocks such as dolorite, limestone or gypsum by the action of rainwater,[2] which is weakly acidic owing to the presence of carbonic acid, H2CO3.[1] The resulting collapse of those rocks as the result of their erosion creates features such as sinkholes, caves, and underground streams and rivers.[3]

References



Bibliography


Mayhew, Susan. “Karst.” A Dictionary of Geography, 6th ed., Oxford University Press, 2023, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192896391.001.0001/acref-9780192896391-e-1751.
National Park Service. Solution Caves. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/caves/solution-caves.htm.
Park, Chris, and Michael Allaby. “Karst.” A Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Online, Oxford University Press, 2017, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191826320.001.0001/acref-9780191826320-e-4325.