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The Yorkshire Dales National Park is known as the Limestone

Country as it has large amounts ofCarboniferous limestone situated there. This isa map to show where the Yorkshire DalesNational Park is located. It is an area located inthe North of England covering a vast area of1762 square kilometres (or 680 square miles).

Limestone pavements are a main feature in theLimestone Country. These are formed fromlarge areas of limestone slabs called Clints andare weathered by the chemicals in acid rain toproduce vertical crackscalled Grykes. This is apicture of the limestonepavement in the Yorkshiredales national park.

Swallow holes are a common limestone feature in thelimestone country. Swallow holes allow rainwater topass along limestone pavements into undergroundlakes and rivers in caves.

Resurgence also occurs in the limestone country. It iswhen rainwater that has been passed along thelimestone reaches a layer of impermeable rock andcreates a river. Resurgence is when the river/stream isvisible flowing on impermeable rock.

Dry valleys are a common feature in the Yorkshiredales national park. They are created from way back

in the ice age when all the limestone froze. When theice melted, valleys were formed on frozen limestone

http://www.daelnet.co.uk/gallery/index.cfm?pic=ingleborough_snow_limestone

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due to the melting of the ice. When the limestone began to thaw,the water was dissolved in the limestone and a dry valley wascreated.

Malham cove is 80 meters high and 300meters wide. It has been formed due toerosion creating the curved shape. Malhamcove used to be a waterfall, but thelimestone saturated it. The cove has quitenoticeable horizontal ledges due to the rockbeing soft in places and harder in others.Another feature is dark coloured verticalstripes due to the growth of moss.

Goredale scar was carved as a meltwater channelbeneath the Devensian ice-sheet. The overhangingsides suggest that this was once a cavern and theroof has collapsed. Waterfalls flow largely in this area.In the streams at the bottom, cave pearls are found. These are shiny, small pebbles due to the highamounts of limestone.

The limestone country is home to around 19,000 people andhumans have lived there for around 10,000 years. 40% of the land isused for farming and provides 35% of the jobs. Lots of people enjoywalking in the area too. Lots of cars are used to arrive in the area.93% of people that visit use cars so there is a traffic problem.Finally, quarrying is increasing in the area. Lots of people want touse the land for various different things. Will there ever be asolution? Try not to get too involved in a certain use for the land.Each use has its good point and its bad points, but the public willnever decide which use is best.