Glaciation and karst in Tasmania: Review and speculations

The evolution of Tasmanian karsts is fundamentally interwoven with the history of Quarternary climatic change. Specifically karstic processes were periodically overwhelmed by the influence of cold climate which exerted strong controls over thermal, hydrological and clastic regimes. While these episodes of cold climatic conditions have temporally dominated the Quaternary, their legacy may be under-represented in present karst landforms. There is no general case with respect to the consequences for karst of the superimposition or close proximity of glacial ice. The pattern of events in each area will be dependent upon the interaction between local and zonal factors. A number of Tasmanian karsts which may have been influenced by glaciation are briefly discussed.