Dolomite is the colloquial name given to 'dolomitic limestone', which covers almost a fifth of densely populated areas of GCR. Dolomite occurs in both mineral and rock form, exhibiting different properties. *
DWA, 2009
Dolomitic limestone is particularly problematic in the GCR as it dissolves in the presence of water and carbon dioxide. This natural process is exacerbated by other factors such as water ingress, poorly managed surface water drainage, groundwater levels, floods, burst water pipes and human activity. The dolomitic limestone deposits of GCR are said to be a karst landscape which describes a dolomite landscape where the solution process has been occurring for millions of years. Landforms of the karst landscape, erosion features and cavities can together constitute a cave network. Some of the new landscape features that form as a result of the dissolution of dolomite are sinkholes and dolines.
