Other Karst Features

Geologists have described many significant karst features besides caves, sinkholes and springs. These include:

  • Karst Windows — collapse openings into existing cave passage
  • Karst Valleys — distal dry valleys which carry storm waters only and have karst features in their floors
  • Gulfs — large karst windows with steep sides and an alluviated floor
  • Sinks — locations where surface streams lose water into subterranean passages (also known as swallow-holes), and
  • Natural Bridges (rare).

The first image is of a small swallow-hole. The stream is flowing from left to right, quietly entering a subterranean passage. Often, a series of these will be present. During floods, upstream swallow-holes are inundated and the stream terminates in another sink further down the dry-bed. This one is in Tincher Hollow, and is typical of karst valley features found through much of the Crawford Upland.

The second karst feature is near the retreating mouth of an intermittent cave spring. Ceiling collapse at two locations has formed adjacent karst windows, with the original cave ceiling between them being left as natural bridges. Twin Bridges is downstream of Wolf Cave in Owen County, at the northern extremity of Trail 5 in McCormick's Creek State Park. Very interesting geologically, Wolf Cave consists of a single passage only 240 ft long.

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