Resumen
Evidences of Karst phenomenon by action of corrosion in Chile, have been recognized
only in the Coastal Tarapaca Cordillera, in the Upper Paleozoic limestones
of the Patagonian Archipielago and in the limestone of the El Loa Formation
as well as in the clay limestones member of the Cerro Toro Formation at
the Ultima Esperanza Province. The observed forms are karren, a few sink-hole
type dolines, wide and flat and great uvalas. It is possible that some of these
latter might correspond to poljas; however, an appropriate study of this phenomenon
has never been carried out. The extration of the Guarello limestones let out
cavern with sink at the roof and lateral horizontal grottos at sea level. By the
action of solution, in the Atacama Andes salt deposits, two embrionary and recent
sink-holes have been observed. In the Uppermost Jurassic Main Gypsum,
near the Maipo Gorge, there are numerous well developed dolinas, parcially covered
by a salt glacier. While at the northern chilean sector the lime karst landscape
is a "fossil" feature, at the south it is very active and it has developed
over limestones which really are similar to the "marmo ordinario" of Carrara,
of lower most quality.