Why do many karst landscapes have few surface streams or lakes?

Many karst landscapes lack surface streams and lakes because their drainage is primarily internal. This occurs because karst terrain is typically composed of soluble bedrock, such as limestone or dolomite, which is easily dissolved by slightly acidic groundwater.123

As water infiltrates the ground, it enlarges joints and fractures in the bedrock, eventually forming integrated underground conduit and cave systems. Surface water is diverted into these subsurface channels through sinkholes and other depressions, effectively "swallowing" streams that would otherwise flow across the surface. Over time, as these underground passages enlarge, they become capable of carrying even large flood flows, leaving surface channels dry or entirely absent. Consequently, instead of collecting in surface basins, precipitation is rapidly transported through the subsurface to emerge elsewhere as large springs.412