Sublimation takes place when the atoms in a solid acquire enough energy to become a gas without first becoming a liquid. Reduced atmospheric pressure combined with significant energy input, typically as heat, enables the atoms to move fast enough to break free from the attractive forces that hold them together.
When carbon is combined with minerals, it dissolves carbon. This process alters the minerals that hold calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Rainwater, which is mildly acidic, attacks limestone formations, leading to the dissolution of the constituent minerals that wash away.
