Case Studies from the Dinaric Karst of Slovenia

long. They are smoother especially if theywere formed below the soil.Corrosion dissects karst rocks into clints bycreating grikes along joints or bedding planes.The size of clints depends on the thickness ofthe limestone layers. Clints are larger on limestonewith thicker layers and less joints.Corrosion sculptures the surface of therock also under cover o soil. Soil or even mossthat grows on limestone blocks is soaked withwater and this water slowly and more evenlycorrodes the rock. Surfaces of such rocks aresmoother and more rounded and there is noforms indicating the vertical flow of water.Where soils were eroded the sculpture of therock shows the height to where soil was coveringthe clints.Small corrosion forms on the rock dependon the properties of the rock but also on theclimatic conditions. In the lower positions especiallyin Mediterranean climate with drysummers sharper forms like rillenkarren andkamenitzas are frequent. In higher karst areas,where is more precipitations, long lastingsnow cover and higher air humidity, rocks aremore rounded. Mosses which grow on rocks inforests also make smooth rounded surface ofthe rock.Leveled Corrosion PlainsLeveled surfaces are one of the very distinctrelief features of the Dinaric karst. Theycan be found at different elevations. They arecommon in all the karst regions on the innerside of the Dinarsko gorovje (Dinaric mountains),and especially on the seaward side.They are absent only in the central highestpart of the karst (Roglič 1957).These corrosion plains have been producedover a long period of denudation by corrosionplanation in the level of the karst water.Later uplift connected with regional tectonicscaused entrenchment of major allogenicthrough-rivers. Canyons were formed and theFig. 23: Kras plateau - view toward south (photo: A. Mihevc).32