THE REGIONAL DIFFERENCE OF KARST CAVE DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA
中国喀斯特洞穴发育的区域分异

The carbonate rocks extensively distribute in China and the karstic caves are developed very well.Since Cenozoic Era, the change of the natural environ ment and the gentle topography in East China have produced the latitudinal changes of the hydrother-mal condition and karstic development with latitudinal zonality. The abruptly ising and falling landform and the outstanding vertical change of hydrothermal condition in west China have simulated the karst development with the characteristics of the vertical changes and regionality.Therefore, the development of karst caves in China is characterized by both zonality and regionality as follows.(1)The types of karstic cave with obvious regionality.(2)The developing intensity (dimension and amount and density)of karstic caves is gradually weakening from south to north.(3)The abundance of chemical deposits and filling degrees in karst caves decrease from south to north;(4)The distribution of karstic caves greatly differs from south to north areas, the caves extensively develop in south China but big caves in north area generally develop on the planation surface of the higher mountains, and the small caves are in the lower place.Based on the similarity and difference of the developing environment and the e characteristics of the developing intensity of karstic caves development in China, the following regions may be summaryed.1. The most intensive region in South China; 2.The more intensive region in Central China; 3. The weak-developed region in North China; 4. The weaker-developed region of Tibet plateau; 5. The weakest-developed region in West-North China.