Salt Karst

A. Frumkin*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Halite is the most soluble common mineral. Salt karst is concerned with extremely soluble and erodible rock-salt geomorphology, which demonstrates a dynamic end member to karst processes. Salt outcrops are rare, due to the high solubility, and common total dissolution underground, but subsurface salt is common, and commonly associated with environmental problems. These are associated with salt hazards, generally due to anthropogenic modification of hydrological systems, causing aggressive water to attack salt rock. Most salt outcrops appear under desert conditions, where the salt mass escapes total dissolution. In such outcrops, runoff produces well-developed karst terrains, with features including karren, sinkholes, and vadose caves. Existing salt relief is probably not older than Pliocene, but the known well-developed salt karst systems are of Quaternary age. Up to now, accessible caves that have been radiocarbon dated are of Holocene age, indicating rapid formation of new caves and destruction of old ones. The largest cave is the 6.7-km-long Malham Cave, Mt. Sedom (Israel). Such caves are dendritic vadose caves with shafts and canyons, whose downstream part joins smoothly the base level or ends within the salt body.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTreatise on Geomorphology
Subtitle of host publicationVolume 1-14
PublisherElsevier
Pages407-424
Number of pages18
Volume1-14
ISBN (Electronic)9780123747396
ISBN (Print)9780080885223
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2013

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Base level
  • Caprock
  • Dead Sea
  • Diapir
  • Dissolution
  • Evaporite karst
  • Hazard
  • Inlet
  • Intrastratal karst
  • Notch
  • Outlet
  • Salt table
  • Sedom
  • Shaft
  • Sinkhole

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