Sink holes are associated with which type of topography?

• A. Karst topography
• B. Mountainous terrain
• C. Coastal plain
• D. Desert

Answer: (A)

Sink holes form when rocks that dissolve easily, like limestone, are eaten away by slightly acidic rainwater. This dissolves underground voids and caverns; when these voids become unstable, the ground above can collapse, producing surface depressions. This pattern—caves, springs, and surface holes created by dissolution—is characteristic of karst topography. So sink holes are a defining feature of karst landscapes.

Other options don’t capture this dissolution-driven process: mountainous terrain is shaped mainly by tectonic forces and erosion, coastal plains are generally flat areas shaped by sedimentation and sea-level history, and deserts are defined by aridity and wind or water erosion rather than dissolution of soluble rocks.