Beneath a quarter of the United States are rock types that can dissolve to form caves, sinkholes and other features. Nearly every state in the nation has rock layers beneath our feet of limestone, gypsum, and other soluble rocks we call "karst". Karst is important for many reasons. Almost half of the ground water used for drinking comes from karst aquifers, and kasrt regions such as the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia are some of the most productive agricultural lands in the nation. However, the rock layers underneath karst dissolve easily, sometimes creating sinkholes than can be a threat to life and property. Yet these soluble rock layers also yield some of the most beautiful and unique natural environments found in many of our national and state parks.
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