fluviokarst

Fluviokarst is a type of karst topography where surface stream channels and valleys are still visible, but a significant portion of the drainage occurs underground. In fluviokarst landscapes, tributary streams may disappear into the ground, and streambeds might only carry water during periods of high flow or floods. The floors of these valleys can be dotted with sinkholes. This occurs when a surface stream erodes bedrock, like limestone, and begins to lose water into fractures that enlarge into cave systems. As these caves grow, they can eventually carry the entire stream flow, leaving behind dry valleys. This process creates a landscape characterized by active stream valleys, dry valleys, blind valleys (where streams disappear underground), and disrupted drainage patterns.1