2.2.2

Limestone Landforms

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Limestone Landforms

Limestone can form landforms that appear on the surface of the Earth or underground.

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Properties of limestone

  • Limestone is a sedimentary rock.
  • Limestone is mostly made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
  • Limestone is dissolved by carbonic acid (carbon dioxide and rainwater).
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Surface features

  • Limestone pavements are a surface feature of some areas of limestone e.g. above Malham Cove, Yorkshire.
  • Swallow holes or sinkholes are where surface streams disappear underground, often for several kilometres, e.g. Gaping Gill near Ingleborough in Yorkshire.
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Underground features

  • Caves are a common underground feature of many limestone areas.
  • Caves are formed by the limestone being dissolved by acidic water.
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Underground features cont.

  • Stalactites are deposits of limestone hanging down from the ceiling of a cave
  • Stalagmites are deposits of limestone growing upwards from the floor of a cave.
  • If a stalactite joins to a stalagmite, a column is formed.

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