| The forming of karst caves is very complicated and it is still a topic
of geological research. But some basic aspects are very easy: water
containing carbon dioxide CO2 is able to dissolve
limestone.
Unlike with salt and gypsum, water is not able to
dissolve limestone without a little help. And this helper is carbon
dioxide CO2. Carbon dioxide is a very common gas, you know
it from sparkling water, softdrinks, and beer. They all contain it, it
makes them bubbling. Natural water also contains CO2, but much
much less, as it is normally not bubbling. Just fill some water in a
bottle and after some hours you will see small gas bubbles at the glas of
the bottle.
Carbon dioxide is in the the air, about 0.03% of
our atmosphere is this gas. Animals and humans breathe air, consume (burn)
the oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Many carbon dioxide is produced by
biologic processes in the soil. When the rain water falls, it first
absorbs some carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but then, oozing through
the soil, it absorbs much more biogene CO2.
In
the water, the CO2 breaks up in two pieces, thus producing a
(very weak) acid:
CO2
+ H20=H2CO3=H+ + HCO3-
When
this water gets in contact with limestone, the acid solutes the limestone.
H+
+ HCO3- + CaCO3=Ca++ + 2 HCO3
This happens on the rock surface, just at the border between rock and
soil. But when the limestone, which is originally water proof, contains
cracks produced by tectonic forces - which is very common - the water
oozes into the rock and starts to widen the cracks and solute caves inside
the layers.
With the small amount of CO2, the
amount of soluted limestone is very small and it takes several ten
thousand years or more to form a cave.
The limestone in the spring water in karst areas
is very common and well known to the people living in those areas. If you
heat this water (e.g. for making coffee, in the washing machine,...) the
CO2 escapes and the limestone gets solid again. This process is
similar to the forming of many speleothems in caves, like drip stones. |
