Aerial view of the Green River downcutting through Mammoth Cave Plateau
The CO2 sources for this landscape differ from Castleguard. Higher temperatures, precipitation, and rapid plant growth and decay intensify the solution process.
Research suggests that karst development in south-central Kentucky began in the late Tertiary or early Quaternary time. Over time in the south-central Kentucky region, the Dripping Springs Escarpment and the most intense zones of karst development have gradually retreated toward the northwest. Currently, the landscape is at a time when the caprock is dissected enough to allow water to enter and dissolve the limestone at many locations, but still protect large areas of cave-rich limestone.