What features are created by karst landscapes in the Ural Mountains?

In the Ural Mountains, karst topography is highly developed, particularly along the western slopes. This landscape is shaped by the dissolution of soluble rocks, such as limestone and gypsum, which creates several distinct geological features.12

The primary features created by karst processes in the region include:

• Caves: Large caverns formed by the excavating effects of underground water.12
• Basins: Depressions in the terrain resulting from the dissolution of underlying rock.1
• Underground streams: Subterranean channels through which water flows, often bypassing surface drainage.12

While these features are prominent on the western slopes, the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains exhibit fewer karst formations, characterized instead by rocky outliers and flattened surfaces.1