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4.5.4 Constructional Features

Because the water flowing in karst contains a high concentration of carbonates and other ions, deposits will form through precipitation. The porous primary deposits are called tufa; more solid or crystalline deposits of carbonate, which may sometimes be secondary filling of tufa, are called travertine. Deposits developing as a result of organic action are called calc-sinter. Factors which increase these types of deposition include plant growth, evaporation, and carbon dioxide diffusion. Any turbulence increases the aeration and thus promotes deposition. As the deposit builds up, the aeration increases and more precipitation occurs forming rapids known as constructive waterfalls.


Images
Travertine, Mammoth Springs, Yellowstone.
Travertine, Mammoth Springs, Yellowstone.
Original from H.H. Einstein
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Travertine, Mammoth Springs, Yellowstone. 

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