Chemical Weathering Shaped Limestone Pavement

What Process can shape a Limestone Pavement?

• Carbonation

What is Limestone?

• A Grey, Organic Sedimentary Rock

• Made of Calcium Carbonate.

What Structure does Limestone Contain?

• Contains Horizontal Bedding Planes

• And Joints

Why is Limestone chemically Weathered?

• Due to its Composition and Structure.

What Process of Chemical Weathering Effects Limestone?

• Carbonation

What Happens as Rain falls through the Atmosphere?

• Water mixes with CO2 in the air.

• Becomes a Weak Carbonic Acid

What Happens if Acidic Water passes through the Soil?

• Picks up additional Acids

Where are these Additional Acids obtained from?

• Obtained from Rotting Vegetation.

What Happens when the Weak Carbonic Acid hits Limestone?

• Acid Rainwater Reacts with Calcium Carbonate

• Becomes Calcium Bicarbonate

What type of Solubility is Calcium Bicarbonate?

• Soluble

What does the Soluble feature of Calcium Bicarbonate do?

• Can Wash away

What does ‘Pervious’ mean?

• Rocks which are Porous and Allow Water to flow Freely.

What happens when Joints in the Rock when the Joints Widen?

• Become Grikes

Whats a feature of Limestone?

• Grikes

Where can a Limestone Formation be seen?

• The Burren Co. Clare

What did the Limestone in the Burren form under?

• Under Soil which covered the Land.

What Specific Age Event did the Soil cover the Limestone?

• During the Ice Age

What is a ‘Karren’

• Smalls pits onto of a Karst Landscape / Limestone Pavement.

What are Clints ?

• Clints are the flat pavements of limestone In between grikes

What are Grikes ?

• Grikes are gaps in between pavement on a limestone pavement

• Form as a result of joints widening