Limestones behave differently in humid and arid climates primarily due to the availability of water, which is essential for the chemical processes acting on them. In humid climates, there is abundant rainfall, which means more surface water and groundwater are available to act on the limestone rocks. In contrast, arid climates receive less rainfall, resulting in limited water availability for these processes to operate effectively.

The dominant and almost exclusive geomorphic process in limestone areas is the chemical process of solution and precipitation. Physical or mechanical removal of materials by moving groundwater is insignificant in developing landforms in limestone regions. The chief chemical in limestone is calcium carbonate, which is easily soluble in carbonated water (rainwater that has absorbed carbon dioxide).

The results of these processes are varied and distinctive. Any limestone or dolomitic region showing typical landforms produced by the action of groundwater through solution and deposition is called Karst topography, named after the typical topography in the Balkans adjacent to the Adriatic Sea.

The landforms created include caves, which form when water percolates through cracks and joints and moves horizontally along bedding planes, dissolving the limestone and creating long and narrow to wide gaps. Caves having openings at both ends are called tunnels.

Within these caves, depositional landforms develop. Stalactites hang like icicles from cave ceilings, broad at their bases and tapering towards free ends. Stalagmites rise up from the cave floor due to dripping water. When stalactites and stalagmites join together, they form pillars.