Northern Guam geospatial information server

KARST TOPOGRAPHY

The word “karst” refers to features and terrain where some of the rock has been dissolved by water. All features formed by dissolution, from the tiny raindrop marks on rock surfaces to the largest caves, are collectively known as karst. They can form only in soluble rocks, the most common of which is limestone

What is karst?

Karst is any topography or feature created by dissolution of rocks. What is most significant about karst is that because the land is composed of soluble rocks, it cannot support much surface water flow in the long term. In karst terrain, rainwater and streams tend to dissolve their way downward and disappear into holes in the rock. This is why karst areas usually lack surface streams. Instead of flowing at the surface, the water moves underground, via pores in the rock, small voids and conduits, and caves. The replacement of surface drainage by underground drainage is one of the defining characteristics of karst topography.