View allAll Photos Tagged KarstLandscape
The Cerknica Lake normally stays on the Cerknica plain for about eight months a year. At its fullest, it covers a surface of about 26 km2 and becomes the largest lake in Slovenia. During the dry season however, the totality of the water disappears, which enables to walk on the bottom of the lake!
In a far corner of Tasmania, the Tarkine Forests still cover most of the landscape. Much of this forest is in the catchment of the Arthur River, one of Tasmania's "wild rivers". In a small reserve this arch, and collapsed cave, and associated limestone landforms are found. Not yet well known, the location is surprising beautiful for the arch frames the tree-fern forests of the cool temperate rainforests that surround the Arch in one direction, whilst a beautiful pool brilliantly coloured by the algae and surrounded by huge clints clothed in mosses is framed by the Arch when looking in the other direction.
Traveling along the circle road on Iceland you find this place in the south. Unexpectedly you get fantastic views on the mountains in the middle part while the foreground offers a mystic field filled with mossy rocks of this karst landscape. Here you can imagine the legendary fairies and trolls hiding everywhere.
"Sometimes the smallest things take up most room in your heart" said Winnie the Pooh. Perhaps he was referring to Australia's smallest State, or maybe to this hidden spot of magic, mystery, high artistic quality in a far corner of the state. Certainly the serendipity filled my heart!
Chemical weathering and the flow of floods through this limestone landscape has created caves, and river tubes, dolines, grykes, uvalas and many sink holes. Here where there has been partial cave roof collapse, arch and water-filled doline have resulted. The fine surface layer of algae on the pond is stunningly illuminated by the bright morning sun.
The area scores very very high on a serendipity scale, as well as for artistic quality. This natural jewel is set in the Tarkine Forests of NW Tasmania. The giant trees form a high canopy under which in this cool temperate forest the tree-ferns abound.
The area is a part of the Arthur River Catchment, one of Tasmania's wild rivers.
A karst is "terrain with distinctive landforms and drainage characteristics resulting from the relatively high solubility of certain rock types in natural waters. Limestones and dolomites are the dominant karst rocks in Tasmania, but karst is also known in magnesite, a magnesium-rich rock which occurs in north-west Tasmania."
dpipwe.tas.gov.au/conservation/geoconservation/karst
And so here at the Trowutta Arch we see a classic example. The sinkhole pond was created by the collapse of a large cavernous ceiling. If you look between the two poles in this photograph you'll see an entrance to a large cave. There are several others scattered around the site. A spelunker's delight.
The amazing karst mountain landscape of Guangxi Province is highlighted beneath a spectacular sunset sky over the Li River close to Xingping.
It is in color! ;-)
A very wet, grey and cold day at the Burren.
The Burren (Irish: Boireann, meaning "great rock") is a region in County Clare, Ireland. It is dominated by karst landscape and measures, depending on the definition, at least 250 square kilometres. The name The Burren is most often applied to the area within the circle made by the villages of Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin, Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna.
The Burren National Park is one of six National Parks in Ireland and the smallest in size (15 km2).
The photo was taken in 1982 on the Li River in China. The river between Guilin and Yangshuo is a tourist magnet for good reasons. On Flickr we are familiar with stunning shots of the iconic karst scenery around the tourist hub of Yangshuo. China has developed rapidly over the last 40 years and I imagine that boat convoys like this have become a thing of the past. Home conversion from slide film.
Yangshuo fishermen gather bamboo rafts, light lamps, select their cormorant birds- the birds are released into the Li River, diving to capture fish in their throats, emerging one after another. This traditional fishing style has a history of more than 1,000 years on the Li River.
A wet and grey day at The Burren.
picture taken out of camper window, it kept raining on and on!!
The Burren (Irish: Boireann, meaning "great rock") is a region in County Clare, Ireland. It is dominated by karst landscape and measures, depending on the definition, at least 250 square kilometres. The name The Burren is most often applied to the area within the circle made by the villages of Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin, Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna.
The Burren National Park is one of six National Parks in Ireland and the smallest in size (15 km2).
Yangshuo is one of the most beautiful places in all of China, with stunning karst mountains and the majestic Li River. Weathered limestone formations rise near vertically from flat land creating a dreamlike, mystical landscape that is timeless and breathtaking.
O troço final do trilho entre Bulnes e Poncebos, nas Astúrias, é um importante caminho pedonal que liga o ambiente rural de Bulnes às impressionantes paisagens rochosas do desfiladeiro do rio Cares, um dos percursos montanhosos mais emblemáticos de Espanha. Este segmento, que se aproxima do início da famosa Ruta del Cares, serpenteia por um vale calcário marcado pela erosão, criando formações verticais e um típico terreno cársico. O trilho, construído em pedra, é utilizado tanto por caminhantes locais como por visitantes e acompanha antigos caminhos de montanha que eram percorridos antes da construção do funicular de Bulnes, em 2001, que facilita o acesso à aldeia. A vegetação atlântica, com predominância de fetos e musgos, prospera no clima húmido da região, tornando este percurso uma ligação essencial para quem pretende explorar o desfiladeiro, que é também um dos mais visitados do Maciço Central dos Picos de Europa.
The final section of the trail between Bulnes and Poncebos, in Asturias, is an important footpath that links the rural setting of Bulnes with the impressive rocky landscapes of the Cares river gorge, one of Spain's most emblematic mountain routes. This segment, which approaches the start of the famous Ruta del Cares, winds through a limestone valley marked by erosion, creating vertical formations and a typical karst terrain. The trail, built in stone, is used by local hikers and visitors alike and follows old mountain paths that were taken before the Bulnes funicular was built in 2001, which facilitates access to the village. The Atlantic vegetation, with a predominance of ferns and mosses, thrives in the region's humid climate, making this trail an essential link for those wishing to explore the gorge, which is also one of the most visited in the Central Massif of the Picos de Europa.
Earlier I posted some shots of the Cormorant fishermen from the Li River in the Guilin area of China. I also got to hike up to the top of one of the Karst mountain tops for a sunset shot over the river valley. What struck me looking out over this beautiful landscape is the resemblance of the mountains to teeth. And indeed there are several references to be found of the "Dragons Teeth" appearance of the Karst formations.
As I look back on some of my photos from 2018, this visit rates very highly as a great experience and a stunningly beautiful and unique landscape. I thoroughly enjoyed my 30 or so hours there, and am keen to go back and explore it again at a more relaxed pace.
Shot as a 4 image pano using Pentax K-1 and "Pixel Shift" feature.
Taken at Elephant Trunk Hill Park
Guilin City, Guangxi Provice China
"The Elephant Hill, lies on the conjunction of the Li River and the peach blossom river in Guilin City. The whole hill looks exactly like a huge elephant stretching its trunk drinking water by the Li River. It is the masterpiece of karst landscape, composed of pure limestone deposited on seabed 360million years ago.
Have a Wonderful Weekend to Everyone!!!
As runoff and groundwater flow through limestone, chemical solution opens up grykes, caverns and tunnels. Continuing solution enlarges these voids, and floods and earth tremors cause collapses of the roofs and walls. This is an example of a cave system that is now open above with remnants forming arches, pinnacles and the walls of the gorge.
A travessia entre o refúgio de Collado Jermoso (2064 m) e Fuente Dé, no maciço central dos Picos de Europa, oferece um vislumbre da paisagem cársica agreste e imponente que caracteriza esta zona declarada Parque Nacional em 1918, o primeiro de Espanha. O percurso, de elevada exigência técnica, revela um relevo calcário marcado por lapias, dolinas e vales glaciares, resultado da dissolução da rocha e da erosão quaternária.
Este itinerário atravessa uma das áreas mais elevadas e importantes do norte de Espanha, exibindo panoramas sobre cumes emblemáticos como a Torre Cerredo e o Naranjo de Bulnes. A paisagem, pontuada por afloramentos rochosos e vegetação alpina, alberga uma rica biodiversidade, com habitats como a Vega de Liordes a suportar espécies como o urso-pardo, o lobo e a camurça. O percurso revela ainda vestígios da antiga atividade mineira, testemunho da história humana nesta região de beleza singular.
The crossing between the refuge of Collado Jermoso (2064 m) and Fuente Dé, in the central massif of the Picos de Europa, offers a glimpse of the rugged and imposing karst landscape that characterizes this area declared a National Park in 1918, the first in Spain. The route, of high technical requirement, reveals a limestone relief marked by lapias, dolinas and glacial valleys, the result of rock dissolution and quaternary erosion.
This itinerary crosses one of the highest and most important areas of northern Spain, exhibiting panoramas over emblematic peaks such as Torre Cerredo and Naranjo de Bulnes. The landscape, punctuated by rocky outcrops and alpine vegetation, is home to a rich biodiversity, with habitats such as Vega de Liordes supporting species such as the brown bear, the wolf and the chamois. The route also reveals traces of the old mining activity, a testimony of human history in this region of singular beauty.
As promised earlier this week, here's the view looking astern from a tourist boat travelling down the River Li near Guilin in southern China. The earlier image, looking forward, can be found through the link in the comment below.
Regrettably, there is nothing in the image to give a good sense of scale - the working boat coming down the river behind us has no-one visible aboard. However, the cliff on the very far left is well over 100m high and you can see a few full-size (10m?) trees on the beach beyond it.
Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate types such as limestone or dolomite. Subterranean rivers, cave systems and extravagant surface deformation due to weathering (all found along the Li River) are examples of some of the features found in karst scenery.
South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to sub-tropical karst landscapes. It is a serial site spread over the provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and Chongqing and covers 176,228 hectares. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems. The Guilin Karst component in Guangxi province is located within Lijiang National Park and contains fenglin (tower) and fengcong (cone) karst formations.
I took this image during a leisurely boat ride down the Li in the summer of 1984. Scanned from a negative, I've cleaned it up in Lightroom and Photoshop.
O regato do Tejo, um pequeno afluente do rio Cares, serpenteia entre as imponentes formações calcárias dos Picos da Europa, nas Astúrias. Este curso de água acompanha o trilho pedestre que liga Poncebos à aldeia isolada de Bulnes, atravessando o estreito Canal do Texu. Durante séculos, este percurso de cerca de 4 km foi a única via de acesso a Bulnes, até à inauguração do funicular em 2001. Ao longo do trilho, os caminhantes desfrutam de vistas deslumbrantes sobre o desfiladeiro escavado pelo Cares, que revela a rica geologia calcária e a biodiversidade local. A vegetação resiliente prospera nas rochas cársicas, ilustrando a beleza da paisagem montanhosa, enquanto o regato, fundamental para a mobilidade dos habitantes, alimenta o Cares, que desce em direção à garganta homónima, esculpida ao longo de milénios.
The Tejo stream, a small tributary of the Cares River, winds through the imposing limestone formations of the Picos da Europa, in Asturias. This watercourse follows the pedestrian trail that connects Poncebos to the isolated village of Bulnes, crossing the narrow Texu Canal. For centuries, this 4 km route was the only access to Bulnes, until the inauguration of the funicular in 2001. Along the trail, hikers enjoy breathtaking views over the gorge carved by the Cares, which reveals the rich limestone geology and local biodiversity. Resilient vegetation thrives on karst rocks, illustrating the beauty of the mountainous landscape, while the stream, fundamental to the mobility of the inhabitants, feeds the Cares, which descends towards the homonymous gorge, carved over millennia.
This view shows a tourist boat cruising down the River Li passing a group of locals gathering river grasses, with a spectacular backdrop of karst hills.
Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate types such as limestone or dolomite. Subterranean rivers, cave systems and extravagant surface deformation due to weathering (all found along the Li River) are examples of some of the features found in karst scenery. And three children are partially visible in the immediate foreground.
South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to sub-tropical karst landscapes. It is a serial site spread over the provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and Chongqing and covers 176,228 hectares. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems. The Guilin Karst component in Guangxi province is located within Lijiang National Park and contains fenglin (tower) and fengcong (cone) karst formations.
I took this image during a leisurely boat ride down the Li River near Guilin in the summer of 1984. Scanned from a negative, I've cleaned it up in Lightroom and Photoshop.
A etapa entre Fuente Dé e o Picu Urriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes) atravessa o coração escarpado do maciço central dos Picos de Europa, um território imponente da cordilheira Cantábrica. O relevo calcário, moldado ao longo de milhões de anos e resultante do levantamento alpino, é marcado por picos abruptos, cristas pontiagudas e vales profundos, criando uma paisagem cársica de grande beleza e desafio. Este percurso, um dos mais exigentes do norte de Espanha, leva os montanhistas através de trilhos técnicos e refúgios de montanha, culminando na base do emblemático monólito calcário, um símbolo do montanhismo espanhol. A presença de neve residual nas fendas rochosas testemunha a altitude e o rigor do clima de montanha, enquanto as vistas panorâmicas sobre os cumes que ultrapassam os 2500 metros ilustram a grandiosidade desta travessia.
The stage between Fuente Dé and Picu Urriellu (Naranjo de Bulnes) crosses the rugged heart of the central massif of the Picos de Europa, an imposing territory of the Cantabrian mountain range. The limestone relief, shaped over millions of years and resulting from the Alpine uplift, is marked by abrupt peaks, pointed ridges and deep valleys, creating a karst landscape of great beauty and challenge. This route, one of the most demanding in northern Spain, takes mountaineers through technical trails and mountain refuges, culminating at the base of the emblematic limestone monolith, a symbol of Spanish mountaineering. The presence of residual snow in the rocky fissures testifies to the altitude and rigor of the mountain climate, while the panoramic views over the ridges that exceed 2500 meters illustrate the grandeur of this crossing.
The Yellow Mountains, also called Huangshan is one of the most famous and beautiful mountainous areas in China. The region is renowned for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds.
A special experience on the Li River. The Yangshuo fishermen gather bamboo rafts, light their lamps, and select a few cormorant birds. They then call out to the birds and release them into the Li River, where the cormorants would dive and capture fish in their throats, emerging one after another. The art of cormorant fishing is undertaken along the Li River. This traditional fishing style has a long history of more than 1,000 years on the Li River.
Standing at the rim of Añisclo Canyon in Ordesa National Park, I was overwhelmed by the sheer geological drama unfolding before me. These limestone cliffs, carved over millions of years by the Bellós River, create one of Europe's most spectacular canyon systems, and I wanted to capture both their monumental scale and intricate detail.
The dramatic sky that day seemed perfectly suited to this landscape - those sculpted clouds echoing the carved stone below. I composed the shot to emphasize the layered sedimentary formations that tell the story of ancient seas and tectonic forces, while the lush forest covering the canyon floor shows how life thrives even in these seemingly harsh vertical worlds.
What struck me most was the incredible contrast between the raw power of geological time and the delicate beauty of the ecosystem that has evolved within these stone walls. This UNESCO World Heritage site represents some of the finest limestone scenery in the Pyrenees, and I hope this image conveys both the grandeur and the geological significance of this remarkable place where earth's history is written in stone.
Dawn breaks in the spectacular karst landscape scenery of Guangxi Province in China. The region is well known for the amazing mountain vistas which are often shrouded in a mysterious mist, making the landscapes even more spectacular.
This view shows more of the amazing range of spectacular lumps and bumps that make journeys down the Li River near Guilin in southern China so famous. It looks ahead of the boat at what we were heading into. I'll post an image later in the week looking back from around this same point on the river.
Regrettably, there is nothing in the image to give a good sense of scale. However, the cliff on the very far right is well over 100m high and you can see a few full-size (10m?) trees beyond the scrub bushes on the beach on the left.
Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate types such as limestone or dolomite. Subterranean rivers, cave systems and extravagant surface deformation due to weathering (all found along the Li River) are examples of some of the features found in karst scenery.
South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to sub-tropical karst landscapes. It is a serial site spread over the provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and Chongqing and covers 176,228 hectares. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems. The Guilin Karst component in Guangxi province is located within Lijiang National Park and contains fenglin (tower) and fengcong (cone) karst formations.
I took this image during a leisurely boat ride down the Li River near Guilin in the summer of 1984. Scanned from a negative, I've cleaned it up in Lightroom and Photoshop.
This view shows more of the amazing range of spectacular lumps and bumps that make journeys down the Li River near Guilin in southern China so famous.
Unfortunately, there is little in the image to help give a sense of the scale of the landscape. I've marked a set of steps cut into bank of the river as the best that's available. The wicker construction in the river in the centre of the image is a fish trap of some sort.
Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate types such as limestone or dolomite. Subterranean rivers, cave systems and extravagant surface deformation due to weathering (all found along the Li River) are examples of some of the features found in karst scenery. And three children are partially visible in the immediate foreground.
South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to sub-tropical karst landscapes. It is a serial site spread over the provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and Chongqing and covers 176,228 hectares. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems. The Guilin Karst component in Guangxi province is located within Lijiang National Park and contains fenglin (tower) and fengcong (cone) karst formations.
I took this image during a leisurely boat ride down the Li River near Guilin in the summer of 1984. Scanned from a negative, I've cleaned it up in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Typische Gipskarstlandschaft am Südrand des Kyffhäuseres zwischen Steinthaleben und der Barbarossahöhle bei Rottleben.
More of the amazing range of spectacular lumps and bumps that make journeys down the Li River near Guilin in southern China so famous.
Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate types such as limestone or dolomite. Subterranean rivers, cave systems and extravagant surface deformation due to weathering (all found along the Li River) are examples of some of the features found in karst scenery.
South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to sub-tropical karst landscapes. It is a serial site spread over the provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and Chongqing and covers 176,228 hectares. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems. The Guilin Karst component in Guangxi province is located within Lijiang National Park and contains fenglin (tower) and fengcong (cone) karst formations.
I took this image during a leisurely boat ride down the river near Guilin in the summer of 1984. Scanned from a negative.
A selection of the amazing range of spectacular lumps and bumps that make journeys down the Li River near Guilin in southern China so famous.
On the right bank, several buildings are located - their roofs are their most visible features.
Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate types such as limestone or dolomite. Subterranean rivers, cave systems and extravagant surface deformation due to weathering (all found along the Li River) are examples of some of the features found in karst scenery. And three children are partially visible in the immediate foreground.
South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to sub-tropical karst landscapes. It is a serial site spread over the provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and Chongqing and covers 176,228 hectares. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems. The Guilin Karst component in Guangxi province is located within Lijiang National Park and contains fenglin (tower) and fengcong (cone) karst formations.
I took this image during a leisurely boat ride down the Li River near Guilin in the summer of 1984. Scanned from a negative, I've cleaned it up in Lightroom and Photoshop and converted it in Silver Efex.
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's largest national park covering almost 30,000 hectares, is situated in the lower elevations of the Dinarides in the central part of the country. Within a beautiful karst landscape dominated by a mix of forests and meadows, the magnificent Plitvice lake system stands out, fascinating scientists and visitors alike. Interconnected by many waterfalls and watercourses above and below ground, the lakes are grouped into the upper and lower lakes. The former are formed on dolomites, with mild relief, not so steep shores and enclosed by thick forests, whereas the latter, smaller and shallower, are situated in limestone canyon with partially steep shores. The lake system is the result of millennia of ongoing geological and biochemical processes creating natural dams known as tufa barriers. These are formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate from the waters flowing through the property. In the case of the Plitvice lake system, this geochemical process of tufa formation interacts with living organisms, most importantly mosses, algae and aquatic bacteria. The scale of the overall lake system and the natural barriers are an exceptional expression of the aesthetically stunning phenomenon, acknowledged since the late 19th century. Plitvice Lakes National Park area is mainly covered with very well preserved forests essential for the continuity of geochemical processes in water system (above and below ground), which include an area of 84 ha of old-growth forest of beech and fir. Besides the striking landscape beauty and the processes that continue to shape the lakes, the park is also home to noteworthy biodiversity. The tufa barriers themselves provide habitat for diverse and highly specialized communities of non-vascular plants. Brown Bear, Grey Wolf and Lynx along with many rare species roam the forests, while the meadows are known for their rich flora.
Yangshuo is one of the most beautiful places in all of China, with stunning karst mountains and the majestic Li River. Weathered limestone formations rise near vertically from flat land creating a dreamlike, mystical landscape that is timeless and breathtaking.
The Yellow Mountains, also called Huangshan is one of the most famous and beautiful mountainous areas in China. The region is renowned for its magnificent scenery made up of many granite peaks and rocks emerging out of a sea of clouds.
The more I explore the Dales region the more it is growing on me. It is quite subtle in some ways, it rewards those who take the trouble to look and find and often rewards well. The region surrounding Austwick is particularly rewarding especially its vast areas of limestone pavement - amazing scoured and sheared rocks.I don't find the rock the easiest thing to capture on camera - the rock reflects harshly and creates a lot of dark shadow ( a good case for HDR perhaps?) but it certainly adds drama to a shot and I think I will take many more shots in this region!
According to local legend, when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the earth, and then decided to live here. The place where the mother dragon descended was named Hạ Long.
A special experience on the Li River. The Yangshuo fishermen gather bamboo rafts, light their lamps, and select a few cormorant birds. They then call out to the birds and release them into the Li River, where the cormorants would dive and capture fish in their throats, emerging one after another. The art of cormorant fishing is undertaken along the Li River. This traditional fishing style has a long history of more than 1,000 years on the Li River.
Lucky encunter with a double rainbow on Moon Hill, Yangshuo in Guangxi province in Southern China.
After arriving I noticed some rain clouds building on the horizon and waited around until the showers arrived in the hope of catching a rainbow. In the end I was lucky enough to capture this scene.
For more info on my travels amoung Chinas Karst Landscape, please check out www.thestrayphotographer.com/chinas-karst-landscape/