karstification

Karstification is the geological and hydrological process by which soluble rocks, notably limestone (calcium carbonate), dolostone (dolomite), and gypsum, are dissolved and restructured to form karst landscapes and extensive underground drainage systems. It depends on the interaction of rainfall, soil carbon dioxide, and soluble rock, producing carbonic acid that dissolves minerals along fractures, bedding planes, and voids.

Over time, dissolution enlarges joints and creates voids that develop into caves, conduits, and underground rivers. Surface features include sinkholes (dolines), swallow holes, and uvalas; the terrain often has sparse surface drainage with a network of springs and resurgence points where groundwater returns to the surface.

Caves can host speleothems such as stalactites and stalagmites formed by mineral precipitation from carbonate-rich waters.

Karst systems provide important groundwater resources; the rapid, subsurface flow can yield variable discharge and vulnerability to contamination. They support specialized ecosystems, often with unique cave fauna.

The process occurs over thousands to millions of years and is controlled by climate, rock composition, and tectonics. Karst landscapes occur worldwide wherever soluble rocks are near the surface.