Über die Vergleichbarkeit von Lösungsformen auf Chlorid-, Sulfat- und Karbonatgestein — Überlegungen zu Fragen der Nomenklatur und Methodik der Karstmorphologie

The study deals with the comparison of corrosion forms in differently soluble rocks from different climatic regions, namely forms of the naked karst (lapies), depressions, and corrosive plains. The far-reaching morphographic conformity of corresponding forms permits some general conclusions:

1. The forms in question have the same genesis, there is no casual convergence of forms. It would be convenient to term them as forms of the salt-, gypsum-, and carbonate karst. There is no justification for a fundamental distinction between the “karstification” of limestone and the “leaching” of gypsum and salt.
2. The different liability to karstification (Karstgunst) of rocks can be compensated by a different liability to karstification due to climatic factors.
3. Similarly the other factors of karstification vary gradually; they add up or compensate each other. A classification of climatic-morphological karst provinces seems to be possible only by means of analysis and balance of the single factors and their effects.