(foto di: Francesco Sauro)
Karst formations, originating from the slow dissolving action of water (slightly acid for the presence of carbon dioxide) on the calcareous and dolomitic rocks, contribute to characterize and make precious some of the most charming environments of the Park with a great environmental value.
Big-size karst formations are the glacial-karst basins, where the karst morphology generally forms on pre-existing glacial formations and is corroded by disintegration processes (Circhi delle Vette, Van de Zità).
The Erera – Piani Eterni plateau represents the most important karst formation for the variety and density of its karst typologies, since it is characterized by large rocky surfaces at altitudes ranging from 1,700 to 1,900m, on which the karst morphogenesis often finds ideal conditions to develop (structural and cirque plateau karst phenomena).
Systematic research and exploration activities carried out by speleologists have given the opportunity to discover over 200 cavities.
The deepest abyss (PE 10) has been explored down to the depth of – 971 meters.
Piani Eterni structure, with over 30 kilometers of galleries, is the longest cave in Veneto, one of the largest in Italy and the major karst system developing in a National Park.
The area has been interested by speleological explorations for over twenty years.
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