The main reason for the formation of caves is the effect of long-term dissolution of groundwater in limestone areas.
The formation of caves is the result of long-term groundwater erosion in limestone areas. Insoluble calcium carbonate in limestone is transformed into soluble calcium bicarbonate by the action of water and carbon dioxide. As the limestone layers contain different amounts of limestone and are eroded to different degrees, they are gradually dissolved and divided into interdependent, steep and beautiful peaks and caves with strange landscapes, and the resulting landforms are generally called karst landscapes.
Nature has repeated these reactions over a long period of time and many times. This has resulted in the formation of various strange and spectacular caves, such as the Seven Star Rock and Ludi Rock in Guilin, China, the Seven Star Rock in Zhaoqing and the Zhushan Cave in Yichun. In the caves, there are thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, which are formed from calcium carbonate that has been decomposed and then deposited.
Natural river water or well water often contains calcium bicarbonate, magnesium bicarbonate, calcium sulphate, magnesium sulphate and other impurities, if the content is large, the water is called hard water. Hard water is not suitable for industrial use because it will form pot scale when heated and decomposed in boilers, causing poor thermal conductivity, wasting fuel and even causing accidents. Hard water is also not suitable for drinking, as long-term consumption can lead to digestive and urinary system diseases.
Karst refers to landforms formed when soluble rocks, especially carbonate rocks (such as limestone and gypsum), are dissolved by running water containing carbon dioxide, sometimes with sedimentary effects. They are often oddly shaped, with caves, rock shoots, rock gullies, rock forests, caves, underground rivers and also cliffs. The areas of this type of landform are often characterized by strange peaks.
In order to protect the landscape of karst caves, some sites have chosen to install karst cave monitoring systems, enabling staff to reduce the occurrence of damage through real-time monitoring.