CDFN: Name and purpose

[Olly Betts]

In message <20010110124804.LGBW17544.t21mta02-app.talk21.com@t21mtaV-lrs>, mart
inl@talk21.com writes:
>Karst - this includes most underground features (not limited to limestone as
>Olly seems to think

I'm not a geologist, but it seems to depend who you ask.  dictionary.com
says:

    karst (kärst)
    n.

        An area of irregular limestone in which erosion has produced
	fissures, sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns.

	[German after the Karst, a limestone plateau near Trieste.] 

While a list of terminology at http://wasg.iinet.net.au/terminol.html says:

    KARST Terrain with special landforms and drainage characteristics due to
    greater solubility of certain rocks in natural waters than is common.
    Derived from the geographical name of part of Slovenia.

(Incidentally I believe Trieste is in Italy, not Slovenia but perhaps the
border has moved...)

Neither of these definitions would seem to include lava tubes for example
(lava isn't an "area of irregular limestone" and lava tubes are formed by
molten rock, not "natural waters").

But anyway, rather than getting bogged down in what to call it, let's just
pick a working title and get on with trying to actually making it happen.
If this is going to turn out to be yet another failed cave data exchange
format, nobody will care what it's called.

Cheers,
Olly