TROPICAL GEOGRAPHY ›› 2018, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 34-47.doi: 10.13284/j.cnki.rddl.003004

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Characteristics, Formation and Evolution of the Karst Landscape of the Du’an Underground River Geopark, Guangxi

WEI Yuelong,CHEN Weihai,LUO Qukan   

  1. (Institute of Karst Geology,Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences,Guilin 541004,China)
  • Online:2018-01-05 Published:2018-01-05

Abstract: According to the analysis and research of karst landscape characteristics and regional geological background, the Du’an karst and the formation of Disu Underground River system, Du’an karst window group, peak cluster and peak forest, etc. have been studied and discussed systematically. The research has found out the following results: 1) the development of Du’an karst is in such a special period: the surface and subsurface karst constricted each other but coordinated with each other and developed together with each other; 2) the temporary surface streams and subsurface rivers have experienced different developing periods: independence, capturing, diversion, and connection, therefore, the evolution series have been formed correspondingly as: individual and dispersed landscape→network landscape→uniform network landscape. The surface karst process changed from being intense to less intense, from leading role to supporting role, and evolved and differentiated gradually. At last, five kinds of surface karst landscapes, including high peak cluster-deep depression→middle peak cluster- depression→low peak cluster-depression→high peak forest-valley→low peak forest-valley, have been formed and transmitted gradually from northwest to southeast. Meanwhile, the subsurface karst process changed from being less intense to more intense, from supporting role to leading role, and formed grand and complicated underground karst landscape-Disu Underground System. From surface to subsurface, the landscapes changed from individual landscape to mutual constricted but coexisting whole, and formed a karst window group with over 500 karst windows. In a word, this geopark is not only one of the outstanding representatives of underground river karst landscape, but also an outstanding representative of the evolution of underground river karst landscape across the world. Moreover, this geopark could also be considered as a typical reference place to show the mutual constriction and coexistence of surface and subsurface karst.

Key words: Disu Underground River System, karst landscape, formation and evolution, Du’an in Guangxi