Carbonation and karst landscapes

• What is carbonation?

  A chemical weathering process affecting limestone
• Where does carbonation occur in Ireland?

  In areas with exposed limestone rock
• What is an example of a karst landscape in Ireland?

  The Burren in Co. Clare
• How was the soil removed from the Burren?

  By ice-sheets during the last ice age
• What has carbonation created in the Burren region?

  A unique landscape
• What are the surface features of a karst landscape?

  • Limestone pavement
  • Grikes (grooves in limestone)
  • Clints (blocks between grikes)
• What is the surface of a karst landscape called?

  Limestone pavement
• How are grikes formed in limestone?

  By carbonation widening the joints
• What are the long vertical cracks in limestone called?

  Joints
• What happens to rivers that flow over limestone surfaces?

  They can disappear underground through swallow holes
• How is a swallow hole formed?

  By water widening joints through carbonation
• What underground features are formed by rivers flowing through swallow holes?

  • Caves
  • Caverns
  • Passages
• What processes enlarge underground passages?

  Carbonation and hydraulic action
• What are stalactites?

  Icicle-shaped deposits hanging from cave roofs
• How are stalactites formed?

  By evaporating water leaving calcite deposits
• What are stalagmites?

  Deposits forming on the floor of caves
• How are stalagmites formed?

  By evaporating water leaving calcite on the floor
• What happens when a stalactite and stalagmite meet?

  They form a pillar or column
• What are the positive impacts of tourism in a karst landscape?

  • Provides employment
  • Reduces migration
  • Brings income
  • Improves services
  • Creates spin-off industries
• What are the negative impacts of tourism in a karst landscape?

  • Environmental degradation
  • Overcrowding
  • Strain on local resources
• What is the formula to remember when answering long geography questions?

  D - E - P - E
• What does each letter in the formula D - E - P - E stand for?

  Description, Example, Explanation, Disadvantages
• What is a cave?

  An underground cavern
• What is the difference between a cave and a cove?

  A cave is underground; a cove is on the surface
• What are the Aillwee Caves known for?

  Examples of stalactites, stalagmites, and pillars
• What is hydraulic action?

  The physical force of moving water
• What is the main component dissolved by carbonation in limestone?

  Calcium carbonate
• What is the role of rainwater in carbonation?

  It dissolves calcium carbonate in limestone
• How do surface and underground features differ in a karst landscape?

  Surface features are visible; underground features are hidden