What are the main types of groundwater features and landforms formed by underground water movement and dissolution processes in soluble rock formations such as limestone, gypsum, and dolomite, and how do features such as sinkholes, caves, caverns, and karst landscapes develop over geological time scales, providing unique habitats, recreational opportunities, and groundwater resources for human societies and ecosystems?

Groundwater features and landforms are shaped by underground water movement and dissolution processes in soluble rock formations such as limestone, gypsum, and dolomite. Over geological time scales, groundwater dissolves and transports soluble minerals, creating distinctive landforms such as sinkholes, caves, caverns, and karst landscapes. Sinkholes are depressions in the Earth’s surface formed by the collapse of underlying caves or caverns due to the dissolution of soluble rock. Caves and caverns are underground voids and passages formed by the dissolution of limestone and other soluble rocks by groundwater. Karst landscapes are characterized by distinctive surface and subsurface features resulting from karstification processes, including sinkholes, disappearing streams, and underground drainage networks. These groundwater features provide unique habitats for specialized species, recreational opportunities for cave exploration and spelunking, and valuable groundwater resources for human societies and ecosystems.