Karst, Coastal, Glacial, Wind and Biotic Landform Processes

Karst, Dissolution and Precipitation

Groundwater can erode and dissolve rock and other materials, altering relief. These processes, modeled in the form of relief, are known as karst, dissolution, or precipitation caused by rock structure. You can find:

• Caves: underground filtered waters from vertical wells.
• Caves: underground cavities.
• Sinkholes: formed by dissolution and sinking soils, influenced by rainfall patterns.
• Stalagmites: underground formations that grow from the ground up.
• Stalactites: formations that hang from the cave ceiling, growing downward into solid bodies.

3.3 Waves, Tides and Cliffs

Waves

Waves erode rocks and transport sediments; they can shift and redistribute sedimentary deposits along coasts.

Wave Erosion

Waves striking coastal cliffs gradually wear material away through repeated impact. Over time the cliff structure becomes unstable and sections can collapse.

Wave Sedimentation

River-eroded sediments are released into the sea and are mixed and redistributed by wave action, contributing to coastal sedimentation.

Sea Currents and Tides

Weather, sea currents, and seafloor topography transport material along coasts. Tides are movements of sea level caused primarily by the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Moon and by their relative distances.

Precipitation

Precipitation (liquid water) can contain dissolved solids; when it falls, some dissolved materials are deposited and contribute to chemical weathering and sediment transport.

3.4 Glaciers

Glaciers are large masses of ice that move—often a few centimeters to meters per day—transporting rock and sediment as they flow.

Types of Glaciers

• Alpine Glacier: found high in the mountains and within valleys; at their termini they produce meltwater.
• Inland Ice (INLANDISAK): very large ice sheets such as those of Greenland and Antarctica.

Till refers to glacially transported sediment, and accumulations of till form moraines.

Alpine glaciers can be classified into three types: lateral (side), medial (central), and terminal (front).

3.5 Wind

Wind Erosion

Wind has the power to erode sand and rock particles, especially in arid areas. Strong winds lift and abrade particles, producing characteristic wind-eroded forms. HIGADURA ALBEOLARRA.

Wind Sedimentation

Aeolian (wind) transport moves and deposits sand to form dunes. Fine particles transported by wind can accumulate and form deposits known as loess (Loessak).

3.6 Living Organisms (Biotic Activity)

The participation of living organisms in the transformation of relief is called biotic activity.

Living organisms and humans affect relief in two main ways:

Mechanical Destruction

Animals and humans physically abrade, excavate, or otherwise alter landforms, reducing or reshaping relief through mechanical action.

Chemical Destruction

Mosses, lichens, fungi, and bacteria produce chemical agents that can dissolve or chemically alter rock and soil, contributing to chemical weathering and erosion.

Regarding biological construction, organisms also build structures: corals and algae can create rigid frameworks. Coral polyps (zianofizeoak) produce calcareous structures and can form stromatolites; in addition, cocoon-shell biloen solid bodies can be formed by certain organisms.