School: Meadowbrook High School

Subject: Geography

Topic: Limestone

Grade: 10

Objectives: At the end of the lesson students should be able to:

1. Define 4 terms related to limestone environment specifically limestone, calcium

carbonate, permeable and karst landforms.
2. Describe the chemical composition and structure of limestone rocks.
3. Describe the permeability of limestone rocks.
4. Identify two Caribbean countries where limestone rocks are dominant.
5. Explain at least three (3) limestone underground features.
6. Explain at least (2) karst landforms (limestone surface features).

Content: Limestone Environment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh0OFRAH64M

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

Limestone Environment

limestone: is the name given to rock which is composed mainly of calcium carbonate.

calcium carbonate: is a chemical compound of calcium, carbon and oxygen with chemical
formula CaCO3.

Permeable: a rock with joints, fissures or pores which water can flow through, such as
limestone, sand or gravel.

Karst landforms: are distinctive features formed in limestone areas.

The chemical composition and structure of limestone

Limestone is the name given to rock which is composed mainly of calcium carbonate.
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound of calcium, carbon and oxygen. The chemical
formula for calcium carbonate is CaCO3. Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is formed
underwater.
There are large areas of limestone in larger Caribbean islands and also in Belize; the
Bahamas is made up mainly of limestone; there is also limestone in Barbados and other small
islands.

Some limestone areas are formed mainly of coral (like in Barbados) or the shells of other
small marine creatures. Limestone may also be formed when egg-shaped grains of calcium
carbonate are precipitated from seawater (most Bahamian limestone rocks are formed like
this- they are called oolites).

Some types of limestone rocks include chalk, oolitc, travertine, Jurassic coralline and tufa.

The permeability of limestone rocks

Limestone is a permeable rock. This means that water can enter limestone through pores,
joints or cracks in the rock. Another characteristic of limestone is that it can be slowly
dissolved by water. When groundwater or rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide, it becomes a
weak acidic solution which is especially effective at dissolving limestone. Because of these
simple facts, wherever limestone is in contact with rainwater or groundwater, some
interesting limestone features tend to develop.

Common Underground Limestone Features

Underground features include caves and tunnels formed by carbonation and by erosion from
rivers.

Underground Rivers: In areas of permeable limestone, joints and fissures in the rock are
enlarged as the limestone is weathered by carbonation and dissolved. Rivers may disappear
down a swallow hole or sink hole. And flow underground through a cave. Few rivers flow on
the surface in limestone areas. Further downstream, where the river leaves the limestone area,
there may be a resurgence. This is a large spring where a full-sized river flows out of the
ground.

Caves: A cave is a naturally occurring underground hollow or passage, especially one with
an opening to the surface of the Earth. Caves often form in limestone areas when
underground water dissolves the rock, forming tunnels passages and even large caverns.
There are several caves in Barbados, the most famous of which is Harrison’s cave.

Many interesting limestone features can be found within limestone caves. Some common
ones are stalactites, stalagmites and pillars.

Stalactites: Water dripping from the ceiling of a cave contains dissolved calcium
carbonate. Some of this calcium carbonate may be deposited on the ceiling of the cave. Over
time the deposition of calcium carbonate will form an elongated feature which hangs down
from the ceiling. This feature is known as a stalactite. Several stalactites can be seen in the
photo above.

Stalagmites: As water drips from the ceiling onto the floor of the cave, calcium carbonate
may be deposited on the floor of the cave. Over time this may form an elongated feature
which rises vertically from the cave floor. This feature is known as a stalagmite. Several
stalagmites can be seen in the photo above.

Note: A simple way to avoid confusion is to remember that stalactite has

a “c” for “ceiling” and stalagmite has a “g” for “ground”.

Pillars: A stalagmite may form directly below a stalactite as water drips from the ceiling of
the cave onto the floor. The stalactite may continue to grow downwards and the stalagmite
may continue to grow upwards until the two limestone features eventually meet. When this
happens they form a new feature known as a pillar or column which extends all the way
from the ceiling of the cave to the floor.

Limestone Surface Features

Solution of limestone may form a surface depression. There are many types of surface
depression such as sink holes, dolines and cockpits.

Sink holes: A sink hole (or swallow hole) is a natural depression or hole in the Earth’s
surface commonly found in limestone areas. They are formed when joints or fissures in the
rock are enlarged by carbonation or when the roof of an underground cave collapses.
Sometimes a river or stream may “disappear” down a sink hole and continue flowing
underground. Sink holes may be dry with no associated rivers or stream.

Doline: is usually a larger depression often from 10m to 1km in diameter. When a doline has
formed, clay may accumulate in the depression. Water cannot flow through the clay into
limestone below. A small lake may be formed.

Clints and grikes/grykes: a limestone pavement is a surface of bare limestone rock with
almost no soil. There are limestone pavements in exposed coastal areas like Barbados and
other islands. Some limestone pavements have a pattern of cracks formed by joints in the
limestone. The cracks are called grikes and the blocks between them are called clints.
 Diagram showing limestone features

Karst Landforms

Karst refers to well-developed features on dry limestone-that is areas without surface

drainage. In many limestone areas, the chemical weathering processes of solution and
carbonation have produced distinctive landscapes known as karst landforms. Karst
landscapes are dominated by features such as sinkholes, disappearing streams and caves.
Karst landforms include cockpits with conical hills.

Cockpit karst is usually a hilly area in which many deep solution holes have developed to
give it an ‘eggbox’ look. The hills would represent the conical hills in this area.
One well known karst landscape in the Caribbean is the Cockpit Country in Jamaica.

Cockpit Country, Jamaica

The Cockpit country is a large area with many small hills (conical hills) and depressions.
This karst landscape was formed in an area with white limestone. In this area, the rock has
many joints. These joints cross each other as some run from east to west and others run
generally from north to south.
Water collects in these joints. Therefore the rock near the joints is dissolved relatively
quickly forming depressions. Small hills form in areas which are further away from the joints
as the rock in these areas is not dissolved as quickly.

There are many caves and sinkholes within the Cockpit Country. No rivers or streams can be
found on the surface in the area because they have all disappeared into swallow holes and
flow underground through caves.