The Geomorphology of Karst Caves in Ajloun Governorate

Abstract

The study deals with the geomorphology of karst caves in Ajloun governorate, aiming to show the role of mineral composition in the extent of contribution to the origin and development of karst caves. Besides studying the morphological characteristics of karst caves in order to achieve the objectives of the study, this article is based on the descriptive and analytical approach to study and analyze the data of the phenomenon in question. Morphometric measurements of nine caves were done through fieldwork. The study concludes that the caves were formed only in Calcite and Dolomite rocks and that the caves vary in the region in terms of their shapes, dimensions, and lengths. The length of these caves ranged between 3.40 - 30 meters, the height of the ceilings between 1.72 - 9.10 meters. Finally, the study shows a clear difference in the morphometric characteristics of these caves, especially the shapes and dimentions. Keywords: Natural characteristics, Morphometric characteristics, Karst caves, Ajloun area.