ABSTRACT
In karst, as in most other terrains, both chemical and mechanical erosion processes operate and the total karst denudation rate is the sum of both processes. However, as high rock solubility is one of the main characteristics that gives rise to karst terrains, and as chemical erosion is easier to estimate than mechanical, most karst research, with the notable exception of Smith & Newson (1974) has focussed on dissolutional denudation rates. Recent work on the turbidity of karst springs (e.g. Bouchaou, Mangin & Chauve, 2002) provides the potential for more detailed analysis of mechanical erosion rates. The majority of studies of dissolutional denudation rates have been undertaken in carbonate karst and these are the primary focus of this essay. However, as Klimchouk et al. (1996) have noted, similar considerations apply to evaporite karsts, and the estimation of gypsum dissolution rates is particularly problematic because of the more rapid solution and the consequently greater spatial and temporal variability of dissolution.
