Geodiversity, karst and caves

Karst Processes and Land forms

Geodiversity

Geodiversity is the variety of rocks, minerals, soils and landforms, and the processes that have shaped these features over time. Mountains, caves, beaches, rivers, oceans and even the weather, are all elements of geodiversity.

Geodiversity provides the foundation for life; ecosystems, and the life forms within, depend on bedrock, soils, landforms and other geological features and processes for their survival. It is also important in understanding the way in which many of the Earth's systems and process work.

Geological features provide us with places to live, resources for industry, soils from which we grow food, water for consumption, opportunities for healing and places for worship, learning and inspiration.

Protecting and conserving our geodiversity

Human activities can impact on water quality, hydrology, soil forming and development processes and local wind patterns, resulting in the deterioration or loss of geological features that have formed over millions of years. Often described as relics or fossils, these features (our geodiversity) provide important evidence of past life and atmospheric, hydrological and biological processes.

Karst

Karst is a distinct landform shaped largely by the dissolving action of water on carbonate rock such as limestone, dolomite and marble. This process typically occurs over thousands or millions of years, resulting in a variety of surface and below ground features including gorges, sinkholes, underground steams and caves.

Karst features interact with the environment to produce complex ecosystems supporting highly specialised plants, animals and micro-organisms. These species contribute to NSW biodiversity and in many cases, are unable to survive elsewhere. 

Caves are integral features

A well-known feature of karst environments is their caves, which typically form in two ways: 1. from surface streams finding their way through cracks in the ground and forming underground rivers2. by groundwater rising up through cracks in rocks under the influence of heat and pressure, dissolving out mazes and rounded chambers.

Protecting and conserving our karst environments

Karst landforms (or environments) consist of geological and biological features, which are highly sensitive to change. On the surface their thin layers of soil make them highly susceptible to erosion, while below ground, the myriad of solution tubes and water-filled fissures can quickly spread pollution and disease.

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God bless..=)