Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

The origin of labyrinth and tower karst and the climatic conditions necessary for their development

Abstract

A new karst style, labyrinth karst, is recognised in climates ranging from humid tropical to subarctic. In the late stages of evolution it is replaced by limestone towers indicating that tower karst is polygenetic, and not specific to the humid tropics as was once thought.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lehmann, H. Geogr. Abh. 9, 1–114 (1936).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Verstappen, H. Th. Z. Geomorph. 8, 40–49 (1964); and in Problems of the Karst Denudation (ed. Štelcl, O.) 139–148 (Geografický ústav ČSAV, Brno, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Panoš, V. & Štelcl, O. Z. Geomorph. 12, 117–165 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Sweeting, M. M. Geogrl. J. 124, 184–199 (1958).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Gerstenhauer, A. Z. Geomorph. Suppl. 2, 22–48 (1960).

  6. Verstappen, H., Th. J. trop. Geogr. 14, 1–10 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Balázs, D. Karszt-és Barlangkutatas 2, 3–82 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Sweeting, M. M. Karst Landforms (Macmillan, London, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Williams, P. W. in Neue Ergebnisse der Karstforschung in den Tropen und im Mittelmeerraum (eds Pfeffer, K.-H. & Semmel, A.) 25–33 (Steiner, Wiesbaden, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Jakucs, L. Morphogenetics of Karst Regions (Akadémia Kiadó, Budapest, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Monroe, W. H. Proc. 7th int. speleol. Congr. 319–321 (1977).

  12. Brook, G. A. & Ford, D. C. Proc. 6th int. speleol. Congr. II, 43–57 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Brook, G. A. & Ford, D. C. Proc. 7th int. speleol. Congr. 77–81 (1977).

  14. Sunartadirdja, M. A. & Lehmann, H. Z. Geomorph. Suppl. 2, 49–65 (1960).

  15. Wilford, G. E. & Wall, J. R. D. J. trop. Geogr. 21, 44–70 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Pannekoek, A. J. Tijdschr. K. ned. aardrijksk. Genoot. 65, 209–213 (1948).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hills, E. S. Elements of Structural Geology (Methuen, London, 1963).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Cooke, H. J. Z. Geomorph. 17, 443–454 (1973).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Balázs, D. A Délkínai-karsztvidék természeti földrajza (Földrajzi Közlemények, Budapest, 1961).

  20. Jennings, J. N. & Sweeting, M. M. Bonn. geogr. Abh. 32 (1963).

  21. Tricart, J. & Da Silva, T. C. Z. Geomorph. 4, 29–42 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Cvijić, J. Geogr. Abh. 5, 217–329 (1893).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Blanc, A. Mém. Docums. Cent. Docum cartogr. geogr. 7, 135–228 (1958).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Jennings, J. N. & Bik, M. J. Nature 194, 1036–1038 (1962).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Monroe, W. H. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 501-B, B126–B129 (1964).

  26. Croce, D. Erdkunde 18, 146–148 (1964).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Waltham, A. C. J. Br. speleol. Ass. 6, 1–11 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Bauer, F. & Zötl, J. in Karst: Important Karst Regions of the Northern Hemisphere (eds Herak, M. & Stringfield, V. T.) 225–265 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rossi, G. Z. Geomorph. Suppl. 26, 124–152 (1976).

  30. Sweeting, M. M. Z. Geomorph. Suppl. 26, 1–5 (1976).

  31. Pokorny, J. Bull. Acad. pol. Sci. Sér. Sci. chim. geol. geogr. 11, 169–175 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Silar, J. Bull. natn. speleol. Soc. 27, 35–46 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Gavrilović, D. in Problems of the Karst Denudation (ed. Štelcl, O.) 159–165 (Geografický ústav ČSAV, Brno, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Marker, M. E. Trans. Inst. Br. Geogr. 50, 73–85 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Irving, E. Nature 270, 304–309 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ford, D. C. Can. J. Earth Sci. 13, 1433–1445 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Smith, D. I. & Atkinson, T. C. in Geomorphology and Climate (ed. Derbyshire, E.) 367–409 (Wiley, London, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Balázs, D. Proc. 6th int. speleol. Congr. IV, 23–32 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Balázs, D. Karszt-és Barlangkutatas 5, 325–399 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  40. Balázs, D. Proc. 6th int. speleol. Congr. II, 19–38 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Versey, H. R. Trans. 2nd Caribbean Congr. 59–68 (1959).

  42. Bögli, A. Z. Geomorph. Suppl. 2, 4–21 (1960).

  43. Williams, P. W. Trans. Inst. Br. Geogr. 40, 155–172 (1966).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brook, G., Ford, D. The origin of labyrinth and tower karst and the climatic conditions necessary for their development. Nature 275, 493–496 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/275493a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/275493a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing