Like anywhere, Ireland's is constantly undergoing weathering that slowly, but dramatically changes the landscape. The large lowland of central Ireland is limestone, a sedimentary rock, that formed when the landmass was under a warm calcium rich sea 300 million years ago. The limestone is the base covered mostly clay, sand and large deposits of dead plant materials that form pete bogs through out Ireland. Although there are may soil tipes on the island it is mostly covered in what is called alfisol soil defined by the large amount of clay accumulated in the B layer of the soil horizon.
 |
Soil horizon showing a large peat bed, decomposed plant material.
This peat is high in carbon and often dug up, bricked, and dried so that it can be burn and used for heating in the winters. |
Limestone solubility means it chemically weathers by the process of dissolution, when water and carbon dioxide mix they make carbonic acid that reacts with the calcite in limestone and dissolves the stone. The Burren, or "Great Rock" in Gaelic, is the best example of the effect of the dissolution on the limestone in Ireland leaving behind what is known as karst landscape. Karst topography is the landscape created by the weathering of this limestone which creates caves and sinkholes under the surface of the area.
 |
| The path of dissolution causing water can be seen in orange flowing through what are called "grikes" before disappearing under the rock into underground channels and karst features formed by the acidic rain water |
The on the surface the limestone chemically weathers along groves called "grikes" that separate slabs of rock referred to as "clints". The clints from a limestone placement that covers the area and is the most visible and beautiful karst feature.
 |
| The beautiful weathered limestone surface of The Burren |
Resources:
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/enfo/irelands-environment/biodiversity/definitions/soils-in-ireland/
http://www.ucd.ie/sssi/Soils_of_Ireland.html
http://www.globalgeopark.org/News/News/5951.htm
