How chemical weathering has shaped the limestone pavement in a karst region

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

A karst region is a flat, exposed area of limestone that has been mainly shaped by the process of carbonation, as well as glacial and river processes

Question 2

What is limestone pavement

Answer 2

Limestone pavement is an area of flat, exposed blocks of limestone separated by deep interacting joints. It can be found in the Burren Co. Clare.

Question 3

How carbonation effects limestone

Answer 3

Glaciers after the last ice age 100,000 years ago stripped away the soil and rocks, and the underlying limestones is exposed to the environment.
Limestone is naturally jointed and has bedding planes between each layer, making it permeable. This makes carbonation effective at dissolving the rock
A layer is also called stratum.

Question 4

How carbonation happens on limestone pavement

Answer 4

Carbonic acid percolates through the limestone.
This dissolves the rocks and widens the gaps between the joints.
The widening and deepening of the joints create grikes.
As carbonation continues, the acid dissolves the grikes into sections called clints.
Sometimes water lodges on top of clints dissolving a small hole called a karren.
Overtime the water cuts a chennel into the Clint connecting the Kerr-Newman to the grike.
This is called fluting.