Carbonation Flashcards
How is Carbonation formed and what effect does it have on the limestone?
• The atmosphere contains a gas called carbon dioxide
(CO2).
• Rainwater (H20) mixes with the carbon dioxide (CO2)
to form a weak carbonic acid (H2C03).
• This weak carbonic acid has a huge effect on limestone rock. This is because limestone contains 80 per cent calcium carbonate.
• The weak carbonic acid reacts with the calcium carbonate in the limestone and dissolves it.
• Limestone is a permeable rock, so rainwater can pass right down through the rock.
Where does carbonation occur?
• Carbonation occurs in areas where bare limestone rock is exposed to the weather. These areas are known as karst landscapes.
• An example of a karst landscape in Ireland is the Burren in Co. Clare. The soil was removed from the Burren by ice-sheets during the last ice age. This left the bare limestone rock exposed.
