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What is a limestone landscape?

Limestone is a sedimentary rock. Features like potholes and caves can form when limestone is dissolved by rainwater.

In this article you can learn:

  • What limestone is
  • What joints and bedding planes are
  • How caves are formed
  • How stalactites and stalagmites are formed

This resource is suitable for Landscapes topics for primary school learners.

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Video - Limestone landscapes

Join Isla and Connor as they explore limestone features in the North West Highlands Geopark.

Watch this short video to find out about limestone landscape features.

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What is limestone?

  • Limestone is a . It is made of which is by rainfall.
  • Limestone is made up of horizontal layers called bedding planes and vertical cracks called joints.
  • Water can pass through these joints and cracks. As it does, it continues to dissolve the limestone creating larger cracks and caves.

Learn more about sedimentary rock and other types of rock here: Rock types

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Limestone landscape features

Cross-section of a limestone cave and its features
Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 6, Limestone rock with lots of cracks in it, Joints and bedding planes Joints are the vertical cracks in limestone. This means they run up and down the rock. Bedding planes are the separate horizontal layers in limestone underground. They run along the way, not up and down like joints. (geogphotos / Alamy Stock Photo)

Limestone features around the UK

Limestone landscapes can be found in different places across the UK. Look out for these features:

  • potholes or swallow holes
  • caves or caverns
  • stalactites and stalagmites

One way to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites is that the C in stalactites stands for ceiling and the G in stalagmites stands for ground.

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 4, Limestone pavement, Yorkshire Dales, England The Yorkshire Dales National Park is famous for its limestone features, like the limestone pavements at Malham Cove. (travellinglight / Alamy Stock Photo)
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Wildlife: Bats in Scotland

A common pipistrelle bat in flight
Image caption,
The common pipistrelle is a type of bat that lives in Scotland. It is the most common and smallest bat in the UK. (David Cole / Alamy Stock Photo)

In the video at the top of the page, Isla and Connor chatted about bats that live in caves. Let's find out more about about bats in Scotland.

  • Bats are . They are the only mammal that can fly.
  • There are around nine different types of bats living in Scotland. For example, common pipistrelles and brown long-eared bats are two kinds of bats that can be found in Scotland.
  • Bats live in lots of different such as caves, barns, lofts in people's houses, under bridges and in trees.
  • Bats are nocturnal. This means they are active at night. This is when they hunt for their food. They eat insects like beetles and moths.
A common pipistrelle bat in flight
Image caption,
The common pipistrelle is a type of bat that lives in Scotland. It is the most common and smallest bat in the UK. (David Cole / Alamy Stock Photo)
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Key words sticker

Key words about limestone landscape

  • sedimentary rock - A soft rock made up of tiny broken pieces of rocks, crystals and minerals.
  • limestone - A sedimentary rock created by layers of skeletons and shells of sea creatures found in ancient warm shallow seas settling and being compressed and hardened until it becomes stone.
  • dissolve - When a solid becomes absorbed and a part of a liquid. For example, sugar dissolves into a hot cup of tea.
  • joints - Vertical cracks in limestone.
  • bedding planes - Separate horizontal layers in limestone.
  • cave - A natural opening in the Earth's surface. Most caves are created when water erodes or dissolves rock, creating an opening or passage.
  • pothole - A hole in the Earth's surface leading to a natural underground cave.
  • calcium carbonate - A chemical compound found in minerals and rocks, like limestone, marble and chalk.
  • evaporate - When a liquid turns into a gas. For example, when liquid water is heated, it can evaporate into water vapour.
  • stalactites - Long, thin calcium carbonate deposits which grow downwards from a cave's ceiling.
  • stalagmites - Short, wide, dumpy calcium carbonate deposits on the floor of a cave.
  • limestone column - When stalagmites and stalactites grow towards one another and join to form a rock column. Also known as a pillar.
  • nocturnal animal - An animal that is most active at night.
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Test your knowledge

Quiz

Challenge

Challenge

Create a postcard describing a limestone landscape.

Imagine you have visited one of the UK's national parks or reserves where you find limestone features.

  • The North West Highlands Geopark in Scotland
  • The Yorkshire Dales National Park in England
  • The Marlbank Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland
  • The Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales

Design and write a postcard to a friend or family member describing what you have seen. Remember your postcard will need an image on one side and a message on the other.

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