Karst and shallow carbonate bedrock in Wisconsin Factsheet 02 | 2009

Author

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey

Files

Publication Date

January 2009

Publication Title

Factsheet 02 | 2009

Abstract

Carbonate bedrock, rock formations composed primarily of limestone or dolomite, underlie the southern third of Wisconsin in a V-shaped belt (see map on other side). These rocks are commonly fractured, with the fractures provid- ing primary pathways for ground- water movement. Carbonate rocks are soluble, and percolating surface water can enlarge fractures to form conduits, caves, and sinkholes that are the hallmarks of a karstsystem and its related karst landscape. In Wisconsin, karst landscapes are direct evidence of underlying shal- low, fractured carbonate bedrock. But the lack of classic karst features in a landscape does not mean that shallow fractured carbonate bedrock is absent, or that the groundwater is potentially any less vulnerable to contamination.

Document Type

Article

Language

English

Identifier

K26-02163

Recommended Citation

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, "Karst and shallow carbonate bedrock in Wisconsin Factsheet 02 | 2009" (2009). KIP Articles. 2979.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/2979