{"id":142,"date":"2024-03-08T22:57:57","date_gmt":"2024-03-08T22:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppscgey1108geologyofnationalparks\/chapter\/caves\/"},"modified":"2024-03-28T22:17:32","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T22:17:32","slug":"caves","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/ppscgey1108geologyofnationalparks\/chapter\/caves\/","title":{"raw":"Caves!","rendered":"Caves!"},"content":{"raw":"
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Caves (and other features) form in karst environments. Karst refers to landscapes and hydrologic features created by the dissolution of limestone. Karst can be found anywhere where there are limestone and other soluble subterranean substances like salt deposits. The dissolution of limestone creates features like sinkholes, caverns, disappearing streams, and towers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"199\"]\"Steep Steep karst towers in China left as remnants as limestone is dissolved away by acidic rain and groundwater.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"198\"]\"Sinkholes Sinkholes of the McCauley Sink on the Colorado Plateau in Northern Arizona, produced by the collapse of Kaibab Limestone into caverns caused by the dissolution of underlying salt deposits.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"207\"]\"Sinkhole Sinkhole from the collapse of the surface into an underground cavern that appeared in the front yard of this home in Florida.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n

Karst forms when natural water, in combination with carbon dioxide, creates carbonic acid and dissolves calcite (calcium carbonate) in limestone. CO2<\/sub> in the atmosphere dissolves readily in the water droplets that form clouds from which precipitation comes in the form of rain and snow. Thus, precipitation is slightly acidic with carbonic acid.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n

Water + Carbon Dioxide Gas equals Carbonic Acid in Water:<\/p>\r\n

H<\/span>2<\/span>O<\/span>+<\/span>CO<\/span>2<\/span>\u27f6<\/span>H<\/span>2<\/span>CO<\/span>3<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Solid Calcite + Carbonic Acid in Water equals Calcium Ion + Dissolved Bicarbonate Ion:<\/p>\r\n

CaCO<\/span>3<\/span>+<\/span>H<\/span>2<\/span>CO<\/span>3<\/span>\u27f6<\/span>Ca<\/span>2<\/span>+<\/span>+<\/span>2<\/span>HCO<\/span>\u2212<\/span>3<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

After the slightly acidic water dissolves the calcite, changes in temperature or gas content in the water can cause the water to redeposit the calcite in a different place as tufa (travertine), often deposited by a spring or in a cave. Speleotherms are secondary deposits, typically made of travertine, deposited in a cave. Travertine speleotherms form by water dripping through cracks and dissolution openings in caves and evaporating, leaving behind the travertine deposits. Speleotherms commonly occur in the form of stalactites, when extending from the ceiling, and stalagmites, when extending from the floor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"334\"]\"Mammoth Mammoth Hot Springs travertine deposits, Yellowstone National Park.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"332\"]\"Cave Varieties of speleotherms.[\/caption]\r\n

Meteoric (surface) water enters the karst system through sinkholes, losing streams, and disappearing streams. Changes in base level can cause rivers running over limestone to dissolve the limestone and sink into the ground. As the water continues to dissolve its way through the limestone, it can leave behind intricate networks of caves and narrow passages.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"158\"]\"This This stream disappears into a subterranean cavern system to re-emerge a few hundred yards downstream.[\/caption]\r\n

Often dissolution will follow and expand fractures in the limestone. Water exits the karst system as springs and rises. In mountainous terrane, dissolution can extend all the way through the vertical profile of the mountain, with caverns dropping thousands of feet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n

Attributions:<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nModified from: An Introduction to Geology (Johnson, <\/span>Affolter<\/span>, <\/span>Inkenbrandt<\/span>, and Mosher)<\/span><\/a>; authored, remixed, and\/or curated by Chris Johnson, Matthew D. <\/span>Affolter<\/span>, Paul <\/span>Inkenbrandt<\/span>, & Cam Mosher<\/span><\/a> OpenGeology<\/span><\/a>).\r\n\r\nThis page titled <\/em>11.10: Karst<\/em><\/a> is shared under a <\/em>CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/em><\/a> license and was authored, remixed, and\/or curated by <\/em>Chris Johnson, Matthew D. <\/em>Affolter<\/em>, Paul <\/em>Inkenbrandt<\/em>, & Cam Mosher<\/em><\/a> (<\/em>OpenGeology<\/em><\/a>) via <\/em>source content<\/em><\/a> that was edited to the style and standards of the <\/em>LibreTexts<\/em> platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.<\/em>\r\n
\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

\n

Caves (and other features) form in karst environments. Karst refers to landscapes and hydrologic features created by the dissolution of limestone. Karst can be found anywhere where there are limestone and other soluble subterranean substances like salt deposits. The dissolution of limestone creates features like sinkholes, caverns, disappearing streams, and towers.<\/p>\n

\"Steep
Steep karst towers in China left as remnants as limestone is dissolved away by acidic rain and groundwater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sinkholes
Sinkholes of the McCauley Sink on the Colorado Plateau in Northern Arizona, produced by the collapse of Kaibab Limestone into caverns caused by the dissolution of underlying salt deposits.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sinkhole
Sinkhole from the collapse of the surface into an underground cavern that appeared in the front yard of this home in Florida.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Karst forms when natural water, in combination with carbon dioxide, creates carbonic acid and dissolves calcite (calcium carbonate) in limestone. CO2<\/sub> in the atmosphere dissolves readily in the water droplets that form clouds from which precipitation comes in the form of rain and snow. Thus, precipitation is slightly acidic with carbonic acid.<\/p>\n

\n

Water + Carbon Dioxide Gas equals Carbonic Acid in Water:<\/p>\n

H<\/span>2<\/span>O<\/span>+<\/span>CO<\/span>2<\/span>\u27f6<\/span>H<\/span>2<\/span>CO<\/span>3<\/span><\/p>\n

Solid Calcite + Carbonic Acid in Water equals Calcium Ion + Dissolved Bicarbonate Ion:<\/p>\n

CaCO<\/span>3<\/span>+<\/span>H<\/span>2<\/span>CO<\/span>3<\/span>\u27f6<\/span>Ca<\/span>2<\/span>+<\/span>+<\/span>2<\/span>HCO<\/span>\u2212<\/span>3<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

After the slightly acidic water dissolves the calcite, changes in temperature or gas content in the water can cause the water to redeposit the calcite in a different place as tufa (travertine), often deposited by a spring or in a cave. Speleotherms are secondary deposits, typically made of travertine, deposited in a cave. Travertine speleotherms form by water dripping through cracks and dissolution openings in caves and evaporating, leaving behind the travertine deposits. Speleotherms commonly occur in the form of stalactites, when extending from the ceiling, and stalagmites, when extending from the floor.<\/p>\n

\"Mammoth
Mammoth Hot Springs travertine deposits, Yellowstone National Park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cave
Varieties of speleotherms.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Meteoric (surface) water enters the karst system through sinkholes, losing streams, and disappearing streams. Changes in base level can cause rivers running over limestone to dissolve the limestone and sink into the ground. As the water continues to dissolve its way through the limestone, it can leave behind intricate networks of caves and narrow passages.<\/p>\n

\"This
This stream disappears into a subterranean cavern system to re-emerge a few hundred yards downstream.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Often dissolution will follow and expand fractures in the limestone. Water exits the karst system as springs and rises. In mountainous terrane, dissolution can extend all the way through the vertical profile of the mountain, with caverns dropping thousands of feet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Attributions:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Modified from: An Introduction to Geology (Johnson, <\/span>Affolter<\/span>, <\/span>Inkenbrandt<\/span>, and Mosher)<\/span><\/a>; authored, remixed, and\/or curated by Chris Johnson, Matthew D. <\/span>Affolter<\/span>, Paul <\/span>Inkenbrandt<\/span>, & Cam Mosher<\/span><\/a> OpenGeology<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n

This page titled <\/em>11.10: Karst<\/em><\/a> is shared under a <\/em>CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<\/em><\/a> license and was authored, remixed, and\/or curated by <\/em>Chris Johnson, Matthew D. <\/em>Affolter<\/em>, Paul <\/em>Inkenbrandt<\/em>, & Cam Mosher<\/em><\/a> (<\/em>OpenGeology<\/em><\/a>) via <\/em>source content<\/em><\/a> that was edited to the style and standards of the <\/em>LibreTexts<\/em> platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.<\/em><\/p>\n

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