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Introduction

McKnight 9.5: Hydro Cycle

Fluvial Processes: overland vs stream flow

1. Impact of Fluvial Processes on the Landscape

2. Fundamental Definitions and Concepts of Fluvial Processes

3. Stream Channels: Key Characteristics of individual streams and rivers

4. Stream Systems: how streams and rivers relate to each other

5. Shaping and Reshaping of Valleys by Fluvial Processes

Karst and Hydrothermal Processes

• underground water also has an effect on landforms

1. Karst Processes and Landscapes

• Related to chemical weathering: how?

  
  

• Map: Mammoth Cave KY 1:62k scale

• Map: Lake Wales FL 1:24k scale

2. Hydrothermal Processes and Landscapes

• Related to internal processes: how?

1. Karst Processes and Landscapes

• Water: a solvent of certain rock forming chemicals

1a. Solution and Precipitation

• Pure water: not a good solvent: but most underground water not pure

  
  

• Underground water: a weak solution of carbonic acid
  • it contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas

  
  

• Water can have chemical reaction with and break down many types of rock
  • limestone and dolomite

  
  

• Limestone composed largely of calcium carbonate: reacts with underground water to produce calcium bicarbonate which is very soluble in water and easily removed by water

  
  

• Water percolating down through limestone causes a chemical reaction
  • the rock is dissolved and carried away in solution

  • the moister the climate the larger the effect

  • bedrock structure important: more joints and faults and bedding planes (between layers of strata) = more effect

  
  

• The effects are below and at the Earth's surface.

1b. Caverns and Related Features

McKnight 17.2: Cave Features

Caverns: solution cavities large enough for a human to get into

• usually more horizontally expansive then vertically expansive

• why

Speleothems: Cave Deposits (from water)

• two stages in cavern formation: excavation and decoration

  
  
  

• speleothems:
  • stalactites:

  • stalagmites:

  • pillars:

Biosphere underground...

WWW) Biospeleology

Karst and Cave WWW Sites:

WWW) National Speleological Society

WWW) Caves in Ohio

1c. Karst Topography

Karst region in the former Yugoslavia: gave its name to areas of landforms (and related processes) shaped by dissolution of limestone (or a few other highly soluble rocks) at the earth's surface

WWW) Akademski Speleolosko-Alpinisticki Klub

McKnight 17.6: Major Limestone and Karst Regions in the World

Map of Karst Regions in the USA

McKnight 17.7a: Development of Karst Landscape

• early: solution cavities and caves forming in limestone underground

• surface drainage: usually minimal or unorganized

  
  
  
  

  

  Tytoona Cave, PA (Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy)

Sinkholes: dolines: typically occur at joint intersections, weak spots in limestone

Collapse Sinkhole/Doline in Florida



sinkhole size:

McKnight 17.7b: Development of Karst Landscape

• mid-level evolution of Karst landscape

• sinkholes channel water into ground:

• uvala: networks of related sinkholes

McKnight 17.7c: Development of Karst Landscape

• late in the development of a Karst landscape

• tower karst or mogotes:

  
  

  

  South-Eastern China (also Vietnam, Western Cuba)

  
  

2. Hydrothermal Features

Hydrothermal features are also impressive

• but occur in a much more limited area on the Earth's surface

Underground water heated by magma then forced to earth's surface

• very localized features; leave only small imprint on earth's surface

• occur in areas of Iceland, New Zealand, Chile, Siberia, and US (Yellowstone)

McKnight 17.A: East West Cross Section of Yellowstone

• water seeps in from above: heated, expelled

4a. Hot Springs

McKnight 17-10: Hot Springs

• precipitates out of water when water reaches surface, leaving deposits

McKnight 17.C: Jupiter Terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs

McKnight 17.D: Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone

• terraces: if hot spring opens onto slope

4b. Geysers

McKnight 17.12a: Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park

• eruption of heated water from underground

• water accumulates in underground caverns

• eruptions depend on enough water accumulating

McKnight 17.13: (only in textbook) Lone Star Geyser: Nozzle

• some geysers develop depositional features; most are not substantial

4c. Fumaroles

• surface crack (joint, fault) directly connected to a deep heat source

  
  

  

  Fumarole in Hawaii (USGS)

  
  

  water instantly converted to steam and expelled constantly; no eruption

Sum: Effect of Underground Water on Landforms

1. Karst Processes and Landscapes

• related to chemical weathering

• relatively widespread effect on earth's surface

1a. Solution and Precipitation

• water as a solvent

• chemical reaction with limestone

1b. Caverns and Related Features

• Caverns: solution cavities large enough for a human to get into

• Speleothems: Cave Deposits (from water)

1c. Karst Topography

• development of Karst landscape

• sinkholes, uvala, tower karst or mogotes

2. Hydrothermal Features

Underground water heated by magma then forced to earth's surface

• very localized features; leave only small imprint on earth's surface

4a. Hot Springs

• phenomena and deposits: terraces, domes, cones

4b. Geysers

• eruption of heated water from underground

4c. Fumaroles

• charactersitics

E-mail: jbkrygier@owu.edu

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