description Yorkshire Dales Karst Overview
The Yorkshire Dales karst is an extensive limestone landscape in northern England shaped by the dissolution of Carboniferous limestone. Its characteristic features include exposed limestone pavements, sinkholes, dry valleys, underground streams, and major cave systems such as those around Ingleborough and Whernside. Malham Cove provides a prominent surface expression of this geology, and the region is studied by geologists and explored by walkers, climbers, and experienced cavers.
help Yorkshire Dales Karst FAQ
What is Yorkshire Dales karst?
Yorkshire Dales karst is a limestone landscape in northern England shaped by the dissolution of Carboniferous limestone. Its features include limestone pavements, sinkholes, dry valleys, underground streams, and caves.
Which caves are associated with Yorkshire Dales karst?
Major cave systems include Gaping Gill and the Three Counties System. These caves form where water enters and travels through the region's fractured limestone.
Why does Yorkshire Dales limestone create dry valleys?
Water can drain underground through joints and cracks in the limestone instead of remaining in a surface channel. Over time, this produces valleys that may be dry even when surrounding areas receive rainfall.
What is a limestone pavement in the Yorkshire Dales?
A limestone pavement is an exposed, relatively flat limestone surface divided into slabs by cracks called grikes. The blocks between the cracks are known as clints, and the feature is characteristic of karst terrain.
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