List of karst areas
Karst topography is a geological formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock , usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite , but also in gypsum .[1] It has also been documented for weathering -resistant rocks, such as quartzite , given the right conditions.[2] This is an incomplete list of the major karst landscape areas of the world.
Africa
Tsingy de Bemaraha , Madagascar
Madagascar
South Africa
Asia
Shilin in Yunnan , China
Lijiang , Guilin , China
Wulingyuan in Hubei , China
Phong Nha Cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang , Vietnam
China
Area around Guilin and Yangshuo
Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area , (UNESCO World Heritage Site )
Shaanxi tiankeng cluster , discovered in 2016, it is one of the largest in the world comprising forty-nine sinkholes and more than fifty funnels ranging from 50–100 metres in diameter.
South China Karst , World Heritage Site
Stone Forest
Xiaozhai Tiankeng , also known as the Heavenly Pit, is the world's largest sinkhole.[3]
Zhangjiajie National Forest park, forming part of the Wulingyuan scenic area, World Heritage Site
Wulong Karst , Wulong County , Chongqing Municipality
Georgia
India
Yana Caves -Karnatka (Uttar Kanada District)
Indonesia
Karst landscape at Rammang-Rammang, South Sulawesi , Indonesia
Ajamaru Plateau , West Papua , Indonesia
Gombong Selatan , Central Java , Indonesia
Gunung Sewu , Indonesia
Rammang-Rammang , in the Bantimurung - Bulusaraung National Park in (Maros Regency) Indonesia , known as The Spectacular Tower Karst Area [4]
Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat , East Kalimantan
Sijunjung , West Sumatra , Indonesia
Israel and Palestine
Japan
Laos
Lebanon
Dunnieh mountains, North Lebanon
Malaysia
Myanmar
Palestine
Ofra region, Palestinian territories
Philippines
El Nido , Palawan , Philippines
Coron , Palawan , Philippines
Puerto Princesa , Palawan , Philippines
Chocolate Hills , Bohol , Philippines
Osmeña Peak , Cebu , Philippines
South Korea
Thailand
Taiwan
Turkey
Vietnam
Karsts in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Europe
Albania
Austria
Eastern region of the Northern Limestone Alps in the provinces of Salzburg , Upper Austria , Styria , and Lower Austria , forming huge limestone plateaus such as the Steinernes Meer , Hagengebirge, Tennengebirge , Dachstein , Totes Gebirge , Hochschwab , Rax , and Schneeberg .
Area around Graz , Styria .
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vrelo Bune , one of the largest wellsprings in the world by any measure
Karst poljes (Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian : kraška polja )
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Estonia
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Lithuania
Malta
Montenegro
Dinaric Alps region (70% of the territory of Montenegro is Karst)
Poland
Portugal
"Mira d'Aire"'s Karst Lake, Portugal "Mira d'Aire"'s Karst cave system, Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Škocjan Caves , Slovenia
Spain
El Torcal (Antequera – Spain)
Picos de Europa and Basque mountains , northern Spain
Larra-Belagua, Navarre , northern Spain
Serra del Cadí mountain range, Spain
Garraf Massif Natural Park area, Spain
Ciudad Encantada in the province of Cuenca , Castilla-La Mancha , Spain
El Torcal de Antequera nature preserve, southern Spain
El Cerro del Hierro , in Sevilla , southern Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
7,900 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi), or 19% of the surface of Switzerland, is karst, within this area lies the majority of the 7,500 currently known Swiss caves, with an accumulated passage length of more than 1,200 kilometres (750 mi).[citation needed ]
Ukraine
Podolia and Bukovina regions in the northeastern edge of the Carpathian Mountains which includes some of the largest gypsum caves in the world, including the Optymistychna Cave , which is over 200,000 meters in length, making it the longest cave in Eurasia, the third longest in the world, and the longest gypsum cave in the world.[citation needed ]
United Kingdom
England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales
North America
Canada
Mexico
United States
Alaska
Arizona
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Mammoth Cave , Kentucky
Kentucky
Michigan
Missouri, Arkansas
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Dakota
Black Hills (Wind Cave, Jewel Cave)
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois
Central America and Caribbean
Belize
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
South America
Brazil
Chile
Venezuela
Oceania
Australia
Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park and Kintore Caves Conservation Reserve , Katherine , Northern Territory
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park , near Margaret River , south west Western Australia
Northern Swan Coastal Plain , Perth , Western Australia
Naracoorte Caves National Park , South Australia
Jenolan Caves , New South Wales
Wombeyan Caves , New South Wales
Mole Creek Karst National Park , Tasmania
Nullarbor Plain , South Australia and Western Australia
Yarrangobilly Caves area, New South Wales
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
References
^ "Glossary of Cave and Karst Terms" . Speleogenesis Information Network. Retrieved 2009-05-04 .
^ Geomorphological Landscapes of the World.
^ "Xiaozhai Tiankeng sinkhole" . Virtual Globetrotting. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 2013-04-07 .
^ "Wisata Gua Salukangkallang yang Menantang" . Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012 .
^ "Stalactite Cave Nature Reserve" . Israel Nature and Parks Authority . Retrieved 8 February 2018 .
^ Gerson, Ran (February 1974). "Karst processes of the eastern upper Galilee, Northern Israel". Journal of Hydrology . 21 (2): 131–152. Bibcode :1974JHyd...21..131G . doi :10.1016/0022-1694(74)90033-X .
^ Joerg Dreybrodt and Helmut Steiner, 'Karst and caves of the Shan plateau in Myanmar' , November 2015.
^ Marie Starr, 'Exploring Myanmar's vast network of limestone caves' , Frontier , 13 April 2018.
^ Castleton , Karst hydrology By Christian Leibundgut, John Gunn, Alain Dassargues, International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 1998, ISBN 1-901502-40-6 , accessed June 2009.
^ Mendip – Longest caves . Ukcaves.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-06-08.
^ Northern Dales – Longest caves . Ukcaves.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-06-08.
^ Forest Of Dean – Longest caves . Ukcaves.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-06-08.
^ Assynt – Longest caves . Ukcaves.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-06-08.
^ South Wales – Longest caves . Ukcaves.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-06-08.
^ "Cave Stream Scenic Reserve" . Department of Conservation. Retrieved 24 April 2014 .