GEOG 1350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Karst, Stalagmite, Stalactite
29 Nov 2017
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Document Summary
The subsiding area can be a variety of shapes. The speed of subsidence can vary from very slow to rapid. It is not usually life threatening but is one of the most widespread and costly hazards economically. Subsidence is often associated with the dissolution of limestone, marble, or gypsum. Compaction of sediment (air pockets in the soil compacts) Some rocks dissolve in the vicinity of water. The chemicals and acidity of the chemicals in the water cause it to dissolve. Karst is most evident in areas of limestone because this is the most common of the dissolving rocks. Common in southern ontario (agorae gorge, the hamilton escarpment) Water containing carbon dioxide is acidic and thus aids in the dissolution process. Carbonic acid + limestone= calcium carbonate (which is naturally in the air and water) Limestone dissolution can result in the lowering of a surface by 1 cm per decade. The process produces empty voids over a range of sizes.
