Telogenetic Limestones and Island Karst

Abstract

The development of flank margin caves in telogenetic carbonates is in most cases restricted to flow and mixing along fractures, joints and bedding planes, and the caves in this setting tend to have planar, two dimensional configuration. Under special circumstances, as when the telogenetic carbonates are highly fractured, as in New Zealand, or the telogenetic carbonates have been altered into a breccia faces, as in paleotalus in Croatia, a three dimensional series of phreatic chambers can develop. In both cases of fracturing and paleotalus, the three dimensional configuration of the void space and potential flow paths mimic eogenetic carbonates, and flank margin caves similar to those found in eogenetic carbonates have developed. These examples demonstrate that no single characteristic determines the morphological nature of dissolution in the coastal environment. While the coastal geochemical environment of mixing is unique, rock diagenetic maturity and structure also play an important role.