A limestone pavement is a natural karst landform consisting of a flat, incised surface of exposed limestone that resembles artificial pavement. Malham Cove is a natural Limestone formation near Malham, North Yorkshire, England. Karst topography is a landscape shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble Bedrock, usually Carbonate rock such as Limestone Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3
Conditions for limestone pavements are created when an advancing glacier scrapes away overburden and exposes horizontally-bedded limestone, with subsequent glacial retreat leaving behind a flat, bare surface. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. In Geology a bed is the smallest division of a Geologic formation or stratigraphic rock series marked by well-defined divisional planes (bedding planes Limestone is slightly soluble in water, so corrosive drainage along joints and cracks in the limestone can produce slabs called "clints" isolated by deep fissures called "grikes" or "grykes", terms derived from the North of England dialect. Solubility is the characteristic Physical property referring to the ability of a given substance the Solute, to dissolve in a Solvent. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of If the grikes are fairly straight and the clints are uniform in size, the resemblance to man-made paving stones is striking, but often they are less regular. Limestone pavements that develop beneath a mantle of topsoil usually exhibit more rounded forms.
Limestone pavements can be found in many previously-glaciated limestone environments around the world. Notable examples are found in the Yorkshire Dales in Northern England, such as those above Malham Cove and on the side of Ingleborough. The Yorkshire Dales (also known as The Dales) is the name given to an upland area in Northern England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Malham Cove is a natural Limestone formation near Malham, North Yorkshire, England. Ingleborough is the second highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales. They are also found in the Stora Alvaret in Öland, Sweden; in The Burren, County Clare, Ireland and in the Désert de Platé in the Alpine region of France. The Stora Alvaret is a limestone barren plain on the island of Öland, Sweden. is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional Provinces of Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Burren ( Boirinn is the modern form used by the Ordnance Survey) is a unique Karst -landscape region in northwest County Clare, County Clare ( Irish: Contae an Chláir) commonly referred to as simply Clare, is a county on Ireland and part of the wider Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world