EARTHSC 1105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Karst, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Vadose Zone
26 Oct 2017
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Outline for mammoth cave national park fall 2017. Most caves are formed in carbonates (i. e. limestones). The dominant mineral in limestones is calcite (caco3) or calcium carbonate. Caves form by erosion, dissolution, and deposition by groundwater. Groundwater is slightly acidic because it picks up carbon dioxide from the air and soil (especially from organic material in soils). This acidic water reacts with calcite to slowly dissolve the limestone. In rare occasions, cave formation is due to the action of sulfuric acid (carlsbad cavern). Again joints, fractures and faults are often important in cavern formation, as conduits to the flow of groundwater. Carbonates can occur in many different ways and in many different depositional environments. Most are found in marine environments and can be almost totally composed of organic remains (fossils). However, they can also form by totally inorganic processes, for example by precipitation from seawater and everything in between.
