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Karstlandscapes 2012-13
Karstlandscapes 2012-13
SURFACE LANDFORMS
Limestone pavement
River of resurgence =
where river
reappears at the
surface
Pairwork Quick Questions
• Explain the process of carbonation.
• Explain the term ‘permeable’.
• Name two surface landforms in a limestone
region.
• Which part of the limestone pavement would
you walk on?
• Give two other words used to describe a
swallow hole.
Learning Outcome
• Lesson 2
– Recap on Karst landscapes & examples
– Recall the surface landforms in a Karst region
– Complete & Label diagram showing all Karst
features
– Watch video clips explaining the formation of
Karst landforms
– Homework; Page 84 Q 1, 2 & 3.
Karst Landscapes
VIDEO CLIPS
Karst Landscape
UNDERGROUND LANDFORMS
Caves
Swallow holes – river disappears
underground
Carbonation – passages form
large caverns
River erodes the rock of the cave
by abrasion and hydraulic action
Carbonation and solution dissolve
permeable rock (limestone)
Cave develops at or below zone
of saturation
e.g. Ailwee Cave, the Burren, Co.
Clare; Dunmore caves, Kilkenny
Dripstone Features
Stalactites
Drops of water containing dissolved limestone seep down through
cracks/fissures in the cave roof
Drops of water lose carbon dioxide and deposit calcite
Over time deposition of calcite forms the stalactites hanging down
from the roof of the cave
Stalactites are hollow mineral tubes, like drinking straws
They are very thin and fragile
Stalagmites
Water droplets fall to the cave floor
Drops of water lose carbon dioxide and deposit calcite
Over time deposition of calcite form the stalagmites growing upward
from the cave floor form directly below stalactites
Stalagmites are thicker than the stalactites
Pillars
Stalactites and stalagmites grow towards
each other
Eventually join to form a pillar or column
Curtains
Rainwater drips from a long crack in a cave
roof forms a continuous strip of calcite
The Burren, Co. Clare
Covers approximately
250 square km of north-
west Clare
Formed during the
carboniferous period,
355 to 290 million
years ago
Formed of limestone rock
Features include:
• Limestone
pavements
• Subsurface and
dripstone
features
• e.g. Ailwee Cave
Pairwork; OS Map Task
• OS Map of the Burren Area, page 82
Three stages:
Youthful
Mature
Old age
Youthful stage
Rivers flowing on the surface
Erosion of impermeable rock
Then erosion of permeable rock (limestone)
Chemical weathering (carbonation)
Formation of swallow holes
Mature stage
Dry valleys on the surface
Swallow holes
Old age stage
Weathering
Removal of limestone
Older more resistant rock left prominent – hums
Rivers once again flow over the surface
Quick Revision Questions
• Name the main weathering process effective on
limestone
• List the three parts of a limestone pavement
• Name another surface landform found in a
limestone region
• Name four underground landforms in a limestone
region
• Describe a stalactite
Exam Questions
• With reference to the Irish landscape, examine how
the process of weathering has influenced the
development of any one limestone feature. (30m)
• Examine with reference to an example you have
studied, the formation of one rock type and how it
produces a distinctive landscape. (30m)
• Explain with the aid of diagrams, how any two
underground landforms, found in a Karst region are
formed. Give a named example of each in your
answer. (40m- OL)