Space hierarchy of karst landscape in the Dabashan National Geological Park and influence of the neotectonic movement

The Dabashan National Geological Park hosts various types of karst landscapes and complete composition systems, of which the development and distribution are obviously controlled by the structure. This paper presents the features of karst landscapes of this park and studies the control of neotectonic movement on its spatial hierarchy. It is found that overall the karst space is characterized by intense tilting uplift, deep river incision, and canyons of low-medium mountains in subtropical zones. It can be divided into three elevation levels; the first is about 1 200 to 1 890 m, the second is 700 to 1 200 m, and the third 440 to 700 m. Such a spatial hierarchical structure reflects that overall the crust was in a relatively stable period when horizontal karst (caves)developed followed by fast crustal uplift with a small amount of vertical karst systems (sinkholes).The distribution of karst caves is adaptive with the corresponding base levels of erosion (modern riverbeds, terraces at all levels).It is inferred that the research area has experienced at least four large-scale intermittent rapid tectonic uplifts. The planation surfaces at all levels were affected the II and II episodes of the Himalayan Movement. Incision of abundant groundwater and surface water resulted in multilayer denudation platforms during these tectonic processes. During the relatively stable period of the neotectonic movement, there were adequate conditions of alternating cycle dissolution, leading to development of large-scale vertical and horizontal karst. 