tower karst

Tower karst is a type of karst topography primarily found in tropical regions. It develops when thick limestone layers are fractured, and solutional weathering along these fractures creates deep gorges. These gorges drain underground, preventing the formation of surface valleys.

In some areas, the remaining limestone blocks are eroded into closely spaced conical hills, known as cone karst. In other locations, the widening of these gorges at a base level causes the limestone remnants to stand out as isolated, near-vertical towers, forming tower karst. The surfaces of these cones and towers are often sculpted by solution, resulting in jagged pinnacles and crevices.1