Word: karst
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...carbonic acid, which is produced when water reacts with carbon dioxide. The weak acid slowly dissolves bedrock. An underground stream forms, and an elaborate network of chambers like those found at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky takes shape. The unusual limestone terrains where this process occurs are known as karst, named for one such region in Slovenia that is famous for its caves. About 15% of the earth's terrain is karst. By studying and dating the old subterranean waterways, researchers can tell how wet or dry past climates have been...
Early on Oct. 6, photographer Davis and I, accompanied by a translator from the Foreign Ministry press center, set off from Hanoi on a seven-hour, 150- mile drive through the scenic karst valleys of Son La province to Phu Yen district. Before the last two-hour leg of the journey, the driver warned that we would not be able to stop until we reached the hamlet of Phu Yen because even a brief halt in daylight might leave us prey to the bandits who operate in the area...