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List Of Karst Areas
Karst topography is a geological formation shaped by the Solvation, dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite (rock), dolomite, but also in gypsum. It has also been documented for weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions. This is an incomplete list of the major karst landscape areas of the world. Africa Madagascar * Anjajavy Forest, western Madagascar * Ankarana Reserve, Madagascar * Madagascar dry deciduous forests, western Madagascar * Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve, Madagascar South Africa * Oudtshoorn, Western Cape Province, KwaZulu Natal. * West Rand, Gauteng and North West Province, KwaZulu Natal. Asia China * Area around Guilin and Yangshuo * Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, (UNESCO World Heritage Site) * Shaanxi tiankeng cluster, discovered in 2016, it is one of the largest in the world comprising forty-nine sinkholes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions. Subterranean drainage may limit surface water, with few to no rivers or lakes. However, in regions where the dissolved bedrock is covered (perhaps by debris) or confined by one or more superimposed non-soluble rock strata, distinctive karst features may occur only at subsurface levels and can be totally missing above ground. The study of ''paleokarst'' (buried karst in the stratigraphic column) is important in petroleum geology because as much as 50% of the world's hydrocarbon reserves are hosted in carbonate rock, and much of this is found in porous karst systems. Etymology The English word ''karst'' was borrowed from German in the late 19th century, which entered German much earlier ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
KwaZulu Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean and sharing borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho. Its capital is Pietermaritzburg, and its largest city is Durban. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, with slightly fewer residents than Gauteng. Two areas in KwaZulu-Natal have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. These areas are extremely scenic as well as important to the surrounding ecosystems. During the 1830s and early 1840s, the northern part of what is now KwaZulu-Natal was established as the Zulu Kingdom while the southern part was, briefly, the Boer Natalia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xiaozhai Tiankeng
The Xiaozhai Tiankeng (), also known as the Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit, is the world's deepest sinkhole and also the largest in the Shaanxi cluster. It is located in Fengjie County of Chongqing Municipality in China. Dimensions The Xiaozhai Tiankeng is 626 meters (2,054 ft) long, 537 meters (1,762 ft) wide, and between 511 and 662 meters (1,677–2,172 ft) deep, with vertical walls. Its volume is 119,349,000 m³ and the area of its opening is 274,000 m². This material has been dissolved and carried away by the river. The sinkhole is a doubly nested structure—the upper bowl is 320 meters (1,050 ft) deep, the lower bowl is 342 meters (1,122 ft) deep, and the two bowls are on average 257 to 268 m (843–879 ft) across. Between both these steps is a sloping ledge, formed due to soil trapped in the limestone. In the rainy season, a waterfall can be seen at the mouth of the sinkhole. Discovery The Xiaozhai Tiankeng has been well known to local people sin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stone Forest
The Stone Forest or Shilin () is a notable set of limestone formations about 500 km2 located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, near Shilin approximately from the provincial capital Kunming. The tall rocks seem to arise from the ground in a manner somewhat reminiscent of stalagmites, or with many looking like petrified trees, thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. Since 2007, two parts of the site, the Naigu Stone Forest () and Suogeyi Village (), have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the South China Karst. The site is classified as a AAAAA-class tourist site. Features Shilin National Scenic Area () covers an area of and is divided into seven scenic areas as follows: * Greater & Lesser Stone Forests () - also known as the Lizijing Stone Forest () * Naigu Stone Forest () * Zhiyun Cave () * Lake Chang (长湖 literally ''Long Lake'') * Lake Yue (月湖 literally ''Moon Lake'') * Dadieshui Waterfall ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South China Karst
The South China Karst (), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2007, spans the provinces of Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It is noted for its karst features and landscapes as well as rich biodiversity. The site comprises seven clusters Phase I: Libo Karst, Shilin Karst, and Wulong Karst inscribed in 2007, and Phase II: Guilin Karst, Shibing Karst, Jinfoshan Karst, and Huanjiang Karst inscribed in 2014. UNESCO describes the South China Karst as "unrivalled in terms of the diversity of its karst features and landscapes." South China Karst - UNESCO inscription details Gallery File:Yunnanshilin2.jpg, The Shilin (Stone Forest) South China Karst formations scenery File:Furongdongfufashisun.JPG, Karst limestone stalactites in the Furong Cave. File:Wulongtianlongqiao.JPG, Tianlong Bridge, a South China Karst natural arch A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Nat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaanxi Tiankeng Cluster
Shaanxi tiankeng cluster is a group of 19 karst sinkholes in Shaanxi Province, China. The discovery was made in February 2016 and announced by geologists on November 24, 2016.Hong'e, Mo (2016-11-25)"Giant karst sinkhole cluster discovered in NW China" Ecns.cn. Located within a 200 km-long karst landform belt in the southwest part of the province near Hanzhong City, the cluster is one of the largest on Earth. It includes forty-nine sinkholes and more than fifty funnels ranging from 50–100 metres in diameter. The area is in the Qinling-Bashan Mountains, spread over Hanzhong city's counties of Ningqiang, Nanzheng, Xixiang and Zhenba. It is the northernmost example of the humid tropical and subtropical karst landform area, lying roughly between the latitudes of 32 and 33 degrees. From October 25 to 28, 2016, a team surveyed the region. The team was made up of China's resource authorities as well as experts from the UNESCO International Research Center on Karst, the Internat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance. The sites are judged to contain " cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a somehow unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains, or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Huanglong Scenic And Historic Interest Area
Huanglong () is a scenic and historic interest area in the northwest part of Sichuan, China. It is located in the southern part of the Minshan mountain range, north-northwest of the capital Chengdu. This area is known for its colorful travertine pools formed by calcite deposits, especially in Huanglonggou (Yellow Dragon Gully), as well as diverse forest ecosystems, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and hot springs. Huanglong is also home to many endangered species including the giant panda and the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey. In addition, a large population of the endemic orchid species 'Cypripedium plectrochilum' was discovered at the site Huanglong was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1992 because of its outstanding travertine formations, waterfalls and limestone formations as well as its travertine terraces and lakes rating among the three most outstanding examples in the world. Description Repeated glaciation events, the unique terrane structure, the forma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jiuzhaigou Valley
Jiuzhaigou (; ) is a nature reserve and national park located in the north of Sichuan Province in southwestern China. A long valley running north to south, Jiuzhaigou was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997. It belongs to the category V (Protected Landscape) in the IUCN system of protected area categorization. The Jiuzhaigou valley is part of the Min Mountains on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau and stretches over . It is known for its many multi-level waterfalls, colorful lakes, and snow-capped peaks. Its elevation ranges from . History Jiuzhaigou (literally "Nine Settlement Valley") takes its name from the nine Tibetan settlements along its length. The remote region was inhabited by various Tibetan and Qiang peoples for centuries. Until 1975 this inaccessible area was little known. Extensive logging took place until 1979, when the Chinese government banned such activity and made the area a national park in 1982. An Admi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yangshuo
Yangshuo County () is a county under the jurisdiction of Guilin City, in the northeast of Guangxi, China. Its seat is located in Yangshuo Town. Surrounded by karst peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River it is easily accessible by bus or by boat from nearby Guilin. History In the 1980s, the county became popular with foreign visitors engaging in backpacker tourism, and organized tours began by the late 1990s. At the time, domestic tourists represented only a small fraction, but they soon outnumbered foreign tourists by a greater margin in 2005. Today, the county is a resort destination for both domestic and foreign travelers. The history of West Street dates back over 1,400 years ago. Since the street is popular with locals and foreigners alike, signs are written in both Chinese and English. Because of the relatively high number of foreign visitors, many locals speak some English unlike most Chinese towns of its size. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guilin
Guilin ( Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; alternatively romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the north. Its name means "forest of sweet osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the region. The city has long been renowned for its scenery of karst topography. Guilin is one of China's most popular tourist destinations, and the epithet "By water, by mountains, most lovely, Guilin" () is often associated with the city. The State Council of China has designated Guilin a National Famous Historical and Cultural City, doing so in the first edition of the list. History Before the Qin dynasty, Guilin region was settled by the Baiyue people. In 314 BC, a small settlement was established along the banks of the Li River. During the Qin dynasty's (221–206 BC) campaigns against the state of Nanyue, the fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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