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Exploring the limestone landscape

The limestone landscape of today tells the story of the past.

Cavedale

Limestone is relatively easily eroded by water, especially acidic rainwater.  In warmer, wetter weather, the rainwater can gradually dissolve the limestone, widening the cracks and weakening the rock.

Limestone is also permeable i.e. water can easily flow through the many joints and cracks that cut through the rock.  In cold weather, rainwater freezes to form ice that can expand in the joints and break the rock (known as freeze-thaw action).

Dovedale

These process have resulted in many of the typical Karst features ( 'Karst' refers to a classic limestone landscape on the Italian/Croatian/Slovenian border) seen in the Peak District limestone landscape today.

Explore these links to find out more:

dales
plateau
cave
dew ponds

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