Karst Topography: Introduction
This picture is a typical landscape from southeastern New Mexico. The photo was taken just outside the town of Carlsbad. What makes it spectacular is the part that you cannot see. Roll over the image to see what lies beneath the surface of this otherwise ordinary landscape.
Hidden beneath the ground’s surface is an extensive underground cave system, called Carlsbad National Caves. The caves are filled with beautiful, but fragile cave formations that attract thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. In this section you will learn about a unique type of landscape called karst topography. You will see how this type of landscape develops and why it gives rise to spectacular caves like the one in New Mexico.
Before moving on, take a look at some more pictures from the Carlsbad Caves:
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