Karstbase Bibliography Database

Two distinctive new rock alteration mechanisms that can lead to the development of karst features, including caves, are reviewed here for the first time in a British publication. Fantomisation is a two-stage process of partial dissolution around fractures followed, typically much later, by rapid removal of the residue to create passages. Replacement is the simultaneous volume-for-volume alteration of the mineralogy of the rock to create apparently buried forms in situ. These new explanations are not restricted to development of karst in carbonates, and can explain otherwise enigmatic features. They should be considered when interpreting the history, hydrology and morphology of caves and karst where the host rock has been in a low-energy environment with surface and/or fractures open enough for ingress of weathering fluid at some time since its deposition.