Title Page Photo

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Title Page Photo
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The Impact of Solution Processes on the Landscape

• Underground Water
• Slightly Acidic
• Dissolves certain rock-forming chemicals (calcium
  and magnesium carbonates)
• Elements stay in solution until air pressure or
  temperature of the environment changes
• Solution Products on the Landscape
• Karst topography
• Hydrothermal surface features

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Solution and Precipitation

• Dissolution Process of going into solution
• Solubility varies among different elements

• Fig . 17-1

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• Role of Bedrock Structure
• Joints becomes solution pathways
• Network of solution tubes widen to form small
  rooms and large caverns

• Fig. 17-2

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• Precipitation Processes
• Elements and deposits
• Caves
• Outlets
• High pressure and temperature environment
• Geysers
• Hot springs

• Fig. 17-12. Geyser with a nozzle in Yellowstone
  NP, Wyoming.

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• Precipitate formations
• Speleothems
• Small scale features
• Precipitated mineral deposits
• (usually calcite)
• On cave walls, roofs, floors

• E.g., flowstone on cavern ceiling (a) and wall
  (b), Lost River Caverns, Hellertown, PA (Richard
  A. Crooker photos)

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Caves and Related Features

• Location
• Limestone bedrock, underground water
• Formation Two-stage process
• Initial excavation stage by solution action
• Decoration stage by precipitation of minerals
• Speleothems e.g., stalagmites, stalactites, and
  pillars

• Fig. 17-4

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• Fig. 17-3. Speleothems such stalactites hang from
  the ceiling of this room in New Mexicos Carlsbad
  Caverns. Some of them have joined with
  stalagmites to form pillars.

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Karst Topography

• Karst
• Ancient Slavic word (Germanized)
• Name of region of the former Yugoslavia with this
  kind of topography
• Topography
• Rugged hilly area shaped by solution of limestone

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• Extent 10 of Earths land area has soluble
  carbonate rocks at or near surface

• Fig. 17-6

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• Surface features
• Early development Sinkholes (or dolines) and
  disappearing streams

• Fig. 17a

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• Advanced development Sinkholes (or dolines),
  collapse dolines, and uvalas

• Fig. 17b

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• Tower Karst (Late development) Haystack hills
  (mogotes) and exposure of non-soluble bedrock

• Fig. 17-7c

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• Fig. 17-8. Tower karst in Guilin, China.

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• Sinkholes as Natural Hazards

• Fig. 17A. This sinkhole swallowed a house in
  central Florida.

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Hydrothermal Features

• Hot Springs
• Eject hot water
• Volcanic heat and pressure source
• Calcium carbonate and other precipitates

• Fig. 17-9

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• Carbonate terraces and algae around hot springs

• Fig. 17-10. Hot spring atop a carbonate terrace
  in Yellowstone National park. Algal growth
  highlights the spring.

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• Travertine terraces (hot spring on top of terrace)

• Fig. 17-17. Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone
  National Park, WY Fig. 17-16

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• Geysers
• Intermittent hot springs
• Hot water ejects (erupts)
• Flows sporadically or continuously

• Fig. 17-11. Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone
  National park.

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• Fumaroles
• Very little water drains into the tube
• Hot spring lacks water it sends out only steam

• Fig. 17-13.

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• Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
• Americas showcase of hydrothermal features

• Fig. 17-15. Yellowstone NP and its major geyser
  basins.

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Homework

• Read Chapter 17 (only)
• Complete essay assignment
• See syllabus for more details