Morphological characteristics and causal analysis of cavernous potholes in Mahuang Cave,Suiyang County,Guizhou Province
The shapes of 103 potholes developed in dolomite underwater in Mahuang Cave in Shuanghe cave system,Suiyang County,Guizhou Province were measured and statistically analyzed in details to quantitatively describe the morphological characteristics of the potholes and its formation factors from statistical perspective.The main conclusions are as follows:The pot type holes,with a large mouth,small belly and a round bottom,accounted for the main proportion in Mahuang Cave.From the view of the plane shape,it is mainly ellipse-shape potholes.The shape from vertical profiles of the potholes are mainly shallow and deep shapes,which accounted for shallow potholes in area A and C,while deep potholes in area B.The correlation between the long and short axis of the potholes in area A and B are higher,while that of in area C is relatively lower.It explains that the long and short axis changes in different regions are not the same;The potholes in Mahuang Cave are formed by mutual coupling of seasonal water,joints and fissures,effects of dolomite soluble bedrock and tunnel form,strong erosion force of bedload,micro climate elements and water dissolution factors in cave,and so on.Therefore,the results of this study can provide corresponding hydrological evidence for the development and evolu-tion of caves.
karst cavecavernous potholesmorphological characteristicdissolution and erosionMahuang Cave