The Wangchuan Scenic Area of Dolomitic Marble Karst Caves

    The Wangchuan scenic area covers an area of 83.20m2 and is featured in karst caves, which is a part of the Yushan sub-geopark of island-arc granitic peaks and ridges. The scenic area consists of six karst caves formed in dolomitic marble, including the caves called Biyun, Xishui, Huanglong and others. The karst caves developed in the Sinian epimetamorphic strata, in which geological heritage remains intact in fault, fold, fault, sedimentation and corrosion in caves, forming miracle sceneries.
    The Wangchuan karst scenic area belongs to the Yushan sub-geopark with landscapes of island-arc granite ridges and peaks. It is representative with six karst caves in dolomite, two of which have opened to public. The karst caves are developed in the Sinian epimetamorphosed strata, in which sedimentary structures, folds and faults are preserved well.
    The fault here has a strike to approximately east-west direction and dips to south with a dip angle 45º, in which breccias and cataclastic rocks are developed very well. Strong weathering occurs in the fault zone, in which the fault breccias present in loosed soil like and was tinted into tawny color by ferrous leaching.
    The laminated stromatolite is a biological heritage of algae that was formed in synchroneity with the formation of rocks and is common in carbonate sediments of the Precambrian System. Periodical sedimentation and cementation of minerals were occurred when the life activities of cyanophyte existed, thus forming laminated biogenic sediments in limestone.
    Tempestites show evidence of very strong storm, which redeposited pre-existing sediments. It happened in shallow-water conditions, because these sediments are disturbed and redeposited by energy of waves. Scientific branch that deals with tempestites is paleotempestology.
    Flowing of underground water along faulted zones in marble eroded and corroded wall rocks and formed underground rivers, which finally created karst caves. In the karst caves, the underground water that contained thick carbonaceous materials dropped down from the roof and wall of the caves, forming many interesting rock formations such as stalactites and stalagmites and columns because of precipitation of carbonaceous materials from the water under the lower temperature and pressure.
    Recumbent folding was formed by simple ductile-shear dynamics in the early stage, which was refolded by succeeding compression, showing the complexity of multiphase tectonics. Some structures like boudin, rootless fold and thicken bending of the folds are visible.
    Fan-like cleavage means cleavages at axis faces occurring in the core of a fold, which spreads in fan like and shaped like branches of trees or straight with good symmetrical patterns.
    Outcrops of dolomitic rocks (dolomite, dolomitic marble) on the surfaces often appear puckering structures, which were formed by flowing water leaching out calcareous components from the rocks and leaving behind the puckering surface.