Karst Topography

Karst is a terrain with a characteristic relief and drainage arising mainly due to higher solubility of rock in natural water than is found elsewhere.

It is a dry, upland landscape with underground drainage instead of surface streams. It is so named after a province of Yugoslavia on the Adriatic Sea coast where such formations are most noticeable.

Conditions Essential for Full Development of Karst Topography:

• • Presence of soluble rocks, preferably limestone at the surface or sub-surface level.
  • These rocks should be dense, highly jointed and thinly bedded.
  • Presence of entrenched valleys below the uplands underlain by soluble and well- jointed rocks. This favours the ready downward movement of groundwater through the rocks.
  • The rainfall should be neither too high nor too low.
  • There should be a perennial source of water.