Karst is an area of land made up of limestone. Limestone, also known as chalk or calcium carbonate, is a soft rock that dissolves in water. As rainwater seeps into the rock, it slowly erodes. Karst landscapes can be worn away from the top or dissolved from a weak point inside the rock.

Karst landscapes feature caves, underground streams and sinkholes on the surface. Where erosion has worn away the land above ground, steep rocky cliffs are visible.

Shilin is a karst formation in southern China. In Chinese, shilin means stone forest. Shilin got its name because the tall rocks that formed due to erosion look like stone trees. Shilin is part of a larger karst landscape called the South China Karst, which spreads across the Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

In Mexicos Yucatn Peninsula, you can find cenotes, which are karst sinkholes that have filled with water. Sometimes, cenotes connect to waterways underground. Mexicans and tourists use the cenotes as cool, pristine swimming pools.
karst
China's Stone Forest karst formation is a national park.

Underground Rivers
Underground rivers, also known as subterranean rivers, flow at least partly beneath the surface of the Earth. Many underground rivers are part of a karst landscape, where eroded limestone often creates caves. Underground rivers may emerge at sinkholes or above ground, as the karst landscape gives way to soil.

calcium carbonate
Noun

chemical compound (CaCO3) found in most shells and many rocks.
cave
Noun

underground chamber that opens to the surface. Cave entrances can be on land or in water.
cenote
Noun

natural sinkhole or reservoir where groundwater is available.
chalk
Noun

a soft mineral. Also called limestone and calcium carbonate.
cliff
Noun

steep wall of rock, earth, or ice.
dissolve
Verb

to break up or disintegrate.
erode
Verb

to wear away.
karst
Noun

landscape made of limestone.
landscape
Noun

the geographic features of a region.
limestone
Noun

type of sedimentary rock mostly made of calcium carbonate from shells and skeletons of marine organisms.
rock
Noun

natural substance composed of solid mineral matter.
seep
Verb

to slowly flow through a border.
Shilin
Noun

karst formation in southern China. Also called the Stone Forest.
sinkhole
Noun

hole formed in a rock or other solid material by the weight or movement of water.
stream
Noun

body of flowing water.

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    Writers

    Kim Rutledge
    Tara Ramroop
    Diane Boudreau
    Melissa McDaniel
    Santani Teng
    Erin Sprout
    Hilary Costa
    Hilary Hall
    Jeff Hunt

    Illustrators

    Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society
    Tim Gunther

    Editors

    Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing
    Kara West

    Educator Reviewer

    Nancy Wynne

    Producer

    Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society

    Sources

    Dunn, Margery G. (Editor). (1989, 1993). "Exploring Your World: The Adventure of Geography." Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.

    Last Updated

    Jan. 21, 2011

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