Karst Region (The Burren) Flashcards
What process exposes the limestone
Glaciation
What is karst
Limestone
What is it called when Landforms above and below the surface are created
Karstification
Name 2 other Karst regions internationally
Slovenia and Dalmatian coast Croatia
What does the formula H2CO3 mean for carbonic acid
It means its weak
How does the rainwater become more acidic
It moves through soil becoming more acidic from dead plant roots etc
What 3 conditions must be present for a karst to exist
Weak limestone, Limestone cannot be under water and lots of rainfall
What 4 surface features are present in a karst
Clints, Swallow holes, Dolines and Turloughs
What 2 underground features are present in a karst
Caves, Dripstone features
What are Grikes
Vertical joints or cracks (30cm wide and 100cm deep)
How are grikes formed
Formed when water widens the joints in the limestone
What are clints
Blocks or limestone between the grikes
Where in the Burren is limestone pavement found
Black Head
What % of the Burren does limestone pavement make up
20%
What are Karrens
Small depressions found on clints
How are karrens created
Acidic water collecting in them
How does fluting develop
Water from a Karen runs off the clint into a grike, creating a funnel
How are Swallow Holes formed
Carbonation and Gravity
What speeds up the process of Swallow Holes
Hydraulic action and Abrasion
What is the name of a river that goes underground due to acidic water
Dry Valley
Where can Swallow Holes be found
Poul na gColm in Co.Clare
What are Turloughs
Temporary seasonal lakes that occur in a limestone landscape
When are Turloughs visible
During winter when water level rises
Where are Turloughs common
East Galway and North Clare
What is ground water
Water held underground (Aquifer)
What are Dolines
Closed depressions or swallow holes
What lengths can Dolines come in
10-1000m in diameter and 2-150m in depth
How to Dolines develop
When a joint widens or the roof of an underground cave collapses
What are 2 or more Dolines joined together called
Uvala
Where are Dolines found in the Burren
Aillwee Hill
What is a dry valley
a river that has no river flowing through it
How are dry valleys created
When the river is swallowed by a swallow hole
What is another name for a dry valley
emergent river
how are caves and caverns created
When surface rivers flow underground and enlarge the underground joints through carbonation
Where are caves/caverns formed
Below or under the water table
Where are caves/caverns seen
Dunmore caves
What are the 3 dripstone features
Stalagmites, stalactites and pillars
what are Stalagmites, stalactites and pillars known as collectively
Speleothem
How do Stalagmites develop
drops of water fall onto the floor of caves building up small domes
What shape do Stalagmites have
Shapeless because of water splashing
How do pillars form
When Stalagmites and stalactites join together
How are stalactites formed
When calcite rings are left behind after water drops
what are straw stalactites
Smaller stalactites that are hollow and grow several meters
What are the 4 stages of Karst landscapes
Initial, Youthful, Mature and Old
When does the Karst cycle begin
As soon as the carboniferous Limestone is uplifted from the sea
When does the Karst cycle End
Once the Limestone has worn away
