Sink holes are associated with which type of topography?

Sink holes are associated with which type of topography?

• A. Karst topography
• B. Mountainous terrain
• C. Coastal plain
• D. Desert

Answer: (A)

Sink holes form when rocks that dissolve easily, like limestone, are eaten away by slightly acidic rainwater. This dissolves underground voids and caverns; when these voids become unstable, the ground above can collapse, producing surface depressions. This pattern—caves, springs, and surface holes created by dissolution—is characteristic of karst topography. So sink holes are a defining feature of karst landscapes. Other options don’t capture this dissolution-driven process: mountainous terrain is shaped mainly by tectonic forces and erosion, coastal plains are generally flat areas shaped by sedimentation and sea-level history, and deserts are defined by aridity and wind or water erosion rather than dissolution of soluble rocks.

Sink holes form when rocks that dissolve easily, like limestone, are eaten away by slightly acidic rainwater. This dissolves underground voids and caverns; when these voids become unstable, the ground above can collapse, producing surface depressions. This pattern—caves, springs, and surface holes created by dissolution—is characteristic of karst topography. So sink holes are a defining feature of karst landscapes.

Other options don’t capture this dissolution-driven process: mountainous terrain is shaped mainly by tectonic forces and erosion, coastal plains are generally flat areas shaped by sedimentation and sea-level history, and deserts are defined by aridity and wind or water erosion rather than dissolution of soluble rocks.