𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘃𝗲. Limestone may look solid, but it often contains small joints, fractures and bedding planes. As rainwater moves through soil, it picks up carbon dioxide and becomes slightly acidic. That water can enter these weaknesses and slowly dissolve the calcite in limestone. At first, the openings may be tiny. But over long periods, repeated dissolution can gradually widen and connect them, eventually forming larger karst pathways and cave passages. Some cave passages may develop while filled with groundwater. If the groundwater level later falls, those passages can become the air-filled caves we see today. So a huge limestone cave can begin with something incredibly small, water finding a weak path through the rock. 🌍💧 ᴬᴵ⁻ᵃˢˢⁱˢᵗᵉᵈ ᵛⁱˢᵘᵃˡⁱᶻᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿ • ˢⁱᵐᵖˡⁱᶠⁱᵉᵈ • ᴵˡˡᵘˢᵗʳᵃᵗⁱᵛᵉ • ᴺᵒᵗ ᵗᵒ ˢᶜᵃˡᵉ #Karst #Geology #Caves #EarthScience