Formation of underground relief at the top surface of Polaznensky karsted massif at Preduralye

Abstract

Upper surface of karsted massifs covered with fissured rocks is considerably rugged due to various rate of chemical erosion controlled by density of tectonic fissures. Three main elements have been identified by the authors in the buried karst topography of Polaznensky massif. 1) Depressions corresponding to places where overlying rock is densely dissected by fissures. The depressions are filled with collapsed debris and karstic deposits including fragments of both soluble and unsoluble (overlying the massif) rocks. 2) Saddles between outliers corresponding to places of medium density of fissures. They are covered by collapsed fragments of mostly unsoluble overlying rocks. 3) Outliers which correspond to areas of unbroken rocks and are covered with insoluble rocks in their primary position.