A raised, limestone plateau or tableland, particularly in southern France, characterized by underground streams and sinkholes.
From Old French causse, derived from Latin calx (limestone or chalk). The term is primarily used in French geology but has been adopted into English for geographic descriptions of specific karst formations.
The Causses of southern France are otherworldly landscapes riddled with caves and underground rivers—the word literally comes from the limestone itself (calx), so it's geology describing itself. This is one of the few English words where you're speaking French when discussing French geography!
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