karst

American  

[kahrst] / kɑrst /

noun

Geology.

1. an area of limestone terrane characterized by sinks, ravines, and underground streams.

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karst British  

/ kɑːst /

noun

1. (modifier) denoting the characteristic scenery of a limestone region, including underground streams, gorges, etc

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Other Word Forms

• karstic adjective

Etymology

Origin of karst

1900–05; < German, generic use of Karst, name of limestone plateau north of Trieste

Example Sentences

Pristine rivers and the soaring karst peaks of Guilin and Yangshuo in the north draw more than a million Chinese tourists each year.

From BBC

Deciduous and evergreen forests dominate the limestone karst formations of the northwestern highlands of Thailand.

From Science Daily

Their formation is most common in easily erodible karst terrains with carbonate rocks, like limestone or dolomite, or minerals known as evaporites, like salt and gypsum.

From National Geographic

The karst lands are so embedded in our cultural sense of place, we’ve got our own map of chthonic legends.

From Salon

Turkey’s landscape is marked by karst, a type of terrain where caves easily form.

From National Geographic