The Burren

"....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:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc-7vJz0nuA

This clip describe the Burren landscape, its geography, history and archaeology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wEkqiap4nw

This is another very useful video on the features of the Burren

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcqokbOciEA