UIS Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis
Filter by letter:
All a a a b c d e f h i j k l m n o p q r s t u w x y z
Email Print

Glossary

Glossary of Karst and Cave Terms

Rillenkarren
(German.) Solution flutes that occur only in places where fresh unspent precipitation is active and end where the water attains too high a content of lime or where water is added. Their length increases with slope, temperature, and rainfall; eventually reaching 1 m and more in the tropics, up to 50 cm, and as an exception, 100 cm in the Alps. Their width extends from 1 to 3 cm. They lie together in rows with no space between, with sharp intermediary ridges of no more than 1 cm in height. They increase at all freely exposed peaks and ridges where fresh rainwater alone is at work. The grooves gradually flatten out to a smooth surface. Their theory of origin is unknown. [3]. Synonyms: (German.) Kannelierungen; solution flutes; and firstkarren.