Upland Limestone Unit

Question 1

How do Limestone Pavements form?

Answer 1

Limestone is bare in upland areas like the Yorkshire Dales as glaciers scraped away soil and vegetation. When rain falls onto bare limestone rock, it seeps into the many joints. As it does so it dissolves the rock on either side by chemical weathering, making the joints wider. This happens over the whole surface of the limestone so that eventually, the surface is broken up into rectangular blocks, called clints and deep, wide gaps called grikes.

Question 2

How do Swallow Holes/ Pot holes form?

Answer 2

As limestone is a permeable rock there are very few surface streams in the Yorkshire Dales. Streams that flow onto limestone quickly fall into widened joints called grykes. The mildly acidic stream water dissolves the limestone through the process of solution. The water also erodes the limestone. Where the river goes underground is called a swallow hole or pot hole. When the stream reaches impermeable rock under the limestone it flows along this rock under the limestone and can re-emerge further downstream (this is known as Intermittent Drainage)

Question 3

How do Limestone Caverns form?

Answer 3

• Example - Ingleborough Cave, Yorkshire Dales
  Limestone contains both joints and bedding planes, splitting the rock into well-defined blocks and making it permeable. Water flows underground through a Swallow Hole, along bedding planes and down joints until it reaches impermeable rock. As it does so its slight acidity dissolves the limestone with which it comes into contact. A Cave/Cavern forms where there are many joints and bedding planes close together so that large areas of rock in the same space dissolve quickly. This leaves a large space underground which is called a cave/Cavern.

Question 4

What are some conflicts between Industry and Tourists?

Answer 4

• Quarries are Eyesores on the landscape and spoil the natural beauty of the area (Visual Pollution) (1.)
• The large lorries needed to remove the quarried stone causing vast amounts or air pollution (2.)
• Lorries moving quarried rock causes traffic congestion on narrow country roads (3.)
• The blasting of rock causes noise pollution (4.)
• Some wildlife habitats may also be destroyed (5.)
• Quarries can leave a scarred landscape when they are finally abandoned (6.)

Question 5

What are some solutions to the conflicts between Industry and Tourists?

Answer 5

• National park Authorities can insist on companies screening quarries behind trees to reduce visual pollution, e.g Ingleton Quarry (1.)
• Promoting rail transport, e.g upgrading the rail facilities at Swinden Quarry near Skipton. Covering the lorries helps to reduce dust (2.)
• The movement of Trucks can be restricted to certain times of the day (3.)
• Blasting can be restricted to certain times of the day (4.)
• Nature reserves can be located away from quarries to protect wildlife (5.)
• Ensuring the restoration of Quarries, e.g they can be filled in and landscaped, or turned into a lake or nature reserve. (6.)

Question 6

What are some conflicts between Farmers and Tourists?

Answer 6

• Tourists bring cars to the Yorkshire Dales which leads to traffic congestion, noise pollution and air pollution (1.)
• Careless tourists drop litter which can harm livestock (2.)
• Dog walking tourists often let their dogs off of the lead which then worry the sheep and can cause miscarriages in spring. (3.)
• Tourists can leave gates open which can cause livestock to escape. This leads to a loss of Income for Farmers (4.)
• Tourists often wander off of designated paths and can damage and erode farmland. Stone walls can often be damaged by tourists climbing over them. (5.)

Question 7

What are some solutions to the conflicts between Farmers and Tourists?

Answer 7

• The friends of the Dales is a Charity which has set up a bus service called the ‘Dales Bus’ that encourages people to leave the car and take the bus (1.)
• The National Park authority put up signs encouraging people to take their litter home with them (2.)
• Sheep worrying is a crime and owners can be fined or given written warnings from police. Signs are also put up encouraging dog walkers to keep away from fields of livestock. (3.)
• Farmers have introduced kissing gates or Spring loaded gates to prevent livestock from escaping (4.)
• Signs are put up encouraging tourists to stay on the designated paths. Styles are also introduced along long stretches of stone walls to limit damage from climbing. (5.)