(karst)

Landscape
Karst

landscapes are limestone regions with

distinctive surface and underground features
due to chemical weathering.
Examples-

Burren, Slovenia, Kentucky in the

USA and Jamaica

Limestone Characteristics
Sedimentary

rock
Contains calcium carbonate
Carbonation- weathering process
Permeable- allows water to pass
through it( due to joints- vertical
cracks called fissures and
horizontal cracks called bedding
planes)

What is Carbonation?
Very

important process in the

formation of a karst region.
It is chemical weathering.
Process of carbonic acid
dissolving the rock.

Features associated

Surface
Limestone
pavement
Swallow holes
Sinkholes
Turlough

Underground
Caves
Stalactites,
stalagmites and
pillars

Limestone Pavement
During

Ice Age the weight of glaciers removed soil

but left boulder clay.
As rain water passed through the clay it became
more acidic (humic acid- decayed vegetation)
This dissolves vertical line of weakness in the rock.
Eventually this soil will disappear.
Carbonation process widens and deepens fissures.
Slabs of rock (clints) separated by joints (grikes).
Water settles mainly on grikes carbonation.
Grikes can be up to 2m deep amd 30 cm wide.

Limesto
ne
Paveme
nt
Karren: Small hole that
form on the surface of a
clint.

Clint

grike

Limestone Pavement

Swallow holes
Large

funnel-shaped openings on
the surface.
Formed when a joint is
sufficiently enlarged to absorb a
stream
Carbonation and fluvial erosion
River disappears underground
Example Pollnagollum, Burren
( 6m wide and 16 m deep)

Swallo
w hole

River disappears underground

Diagram
of
swallow
hole

Doline / Sinkhole
Surface

of Karst landscape has

many enclosed hollows called
dolines /sinkholes.
It is though that the hollow forms
as a result of an underground
cave collapsing.

Turlough
In

winter and at times of heavy

rainfall all the fissures/cracks in
the limestone fill with water.
This create a temporary lake
called a turlough..
They are sometimes called
seasonal or disappearing lakes.

Underground/Limestone
Landforms

Caves

Caves

Dripstone Features

Dripstone Features

Dripstone Features