Surface Limestone Landform:

Limestone:
1. As a result of its composition and structure, limestone is
easily weathered by the carbonation process, a type of
chemical weathering by rainwater.
2. Limestone is a grey, organic, sedimentary rock made of
calcium carbonate.
3. It contains horizontal bedding planes between layers (strata)
and many vertical joints, which were formed during tectonic
plate movement.

Carbonation:
1. As rain passes through the atmosphere it absorbs carbon
dioxide from the air and becomes a weak carbonic acid.
2. If the acidic rainwater passes through soil it picks up humic
acids from the rotting vegetation in the soil, becoming even
more acidic.
3. When this acidified rainwater falls on the alkaline limestone
rock, a slow chemical reaction occurs, causing it to dissolve.
4. The rainwater reacts with the calcium carbonate in the
limestone, forming calcium bicarbonate.
5. The calcium bicarbonate is very soluble and is dissolved and
washed away by the rainwater, a process known as solution.

Structure:
1. As limestone is pervious rain passes down through the joints
and along the bedding planes rather than through the rock
itself, meaning weathering by carbonation is more
concentrated on these areas.
2. The joints are widened and deepened, becoming long, deep
grooves in the rock surface called grikes.
3. The rock between the grikes is divided into large sections
called clints.

4. This combination of clints and grikes, due to its resemblance

of paving slabs, is known as a limestone pavement.

The Burren:
1. An example of a limestone pavement can be seen in the
Burren, Co. Clare.
2. In this area, the limestone pavement was formed underneath
the soil which covered the land before the Ice Age.
3. However, glaciation and human activities removed the
overlying soil and the limestone pavement is now exposed.