Fractal analysis of tropical karst relief – South China Karst case study

Abstract

Areas of tropical karst create the most spectacular earth landscapes from a geomorphological perspective. These areas are characterized by a variety of specific forms resulting from the long-term karst-erosion dismemberment of terrains in favourable humid tropical conditions. Tropical karst areas are extremely diverse from a geomorphological point of view both in terms of local conditions of development and developmental stages. Among the many types of karst relief, the following two basic types can be recognized: fenglin (tower karst) and fengcong (cone karst). The other types can be treated as a mixture of these two basic types. To find potential quantitative rates characterizing the two main types, as well as the mixed types, we calculated fractal dimensions and cover factors of 17 areas located within the two well-known regions of South China Karst – Guilin and Huanjiang. The calculations show that the numerical characteristics obtained, especially the cover factor parameter, can be useful as complementary tools in the recognition and typology of tropical karst relief and landscapes.