The Pannonian surface, so-called Middle Mountain Plane, is possible to use as a basis for appraisal of the genesis of the territory of the Slovak karst, similarly as in the other regions of mountains of the Western Carpathians. This surface is the oldest levelled erosional-denudating surface. It was best conserved on the Slovak Karst limestones.

Due to the rise of the territory in the first Rhodanian orogenetic phase of tectonic movements a strong deep development of a karst begins as well as development of karstic depressions on the risen surface.

In the next phase of the Rhodanian tectonic movement a considerable rise of the territory took place, and in this way a fall of the freatic zone in the karst occurred, that is how the making of the karst in depth resumed. Subsequently a deepening of the karst depressions with karst sinkholes came about and deep abysses originated.

The Epeirogenetic subsidence of the territory interrupted the tectonic land raising corresponding to the Rhodanian tectonic movements probably in the Pontian. The land subsidence was differentiated. The most intensive declined the limestone blocks in the southern and eastern part of the Slovak Karst. There was a mass deposition of the gravels, redeposited surface covers and weathered soils in river valleys. In the Pontian a considerable differentiation of the karstic relief took place. With the evolution of relief during the Pliocene Epoch a development of caves corresponds, too, especially in its border parts. At the same time some vertical drainage routes became infilled and fossilized and subhorizontal karst passages became the main hydrologic system.

The Quaternary evolution of the territory was conditioned on locally differentiated tectonics as well as on the climatic changes in the Pleistocene Epoch mainly. The development of the karst processes into depth continued on the surface of the karst plateaus. An intensive creation of the colluvial taluses has taken place on the slopes of the plateaus.