"....where there is not water enough to drown a man,
wood enough to hang one nor earth enough to bury one …" Cromwellian soldier 1651
One of the
most scenic and unique landscapes in the world can be found in The Burren in
County Clare, in the west of Ireland.
The Burren
is a Karst Landscape. This means that the main rock to be found in the area is limestone.
In the
Burren the topsoil above the limestone was eroded or weathered away in the
past. This meant that the exposed limestone underwent chemical weathering.
Chemical
weathering is when rainwater mixes with an element in the air called carbon
dioxide. This mixture is now called carbonic acid. Limestone contains a mineral
called calcium carbonate. Carbonic acid dissolves the calcium carbonate which
means the limestone rock is slowly dissolved over time.
The worn
away limestone rock leaves grooves called grikes. The undissolved limestone
remains as clints.
The dissolved limestone disappears under the limestone
pavement where it can create stalactites (growing down from the roof of a cave)
or stalagmites (growing up from the floor of the cave). If stalactites and
stalagmites meet they form a pillar. Streams in the Burren disappear
underground through swallow holes.
The Burren
in Ireland is a protected area, and is a Global Geopark along with the Cliffs
of Moher.
Due to its
unusual landscape and lack of human activity, the Burren is home to some rare
plants and creatures such as orchids and green moths.
It is also
famous for being an area of Neolithic settlement, and contains the famous Poulnabrone
Dolmen.
The
following video gives a good description of how karst landscapes are formed:
This clip describe the Burren landscape, its geography,
history and archaeology
This is another very useful video on the features of the
Burren
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