Earth Science Conservation Review
| County Antrim Karst; Turlough | Antrim |
| Site Type: | Karst |
| Site Status: | ASSI |
| Council area: | Larne Borough Council |
| Grid Reference: | D29282243 |
| Google maps: | 55.03265,-5.97932 |
| Rocks | |
|---|---|
| Rock Age: | Quaternary, Cretaceous (Holocene, Santonian) |
| Rock Name: | Ulster White Limestone Formation |
| Rock Type: | Limestone |
| Interest | |
| Other interest: | turlough |
Summary of site:
This small lough has no obvious water source or outlet. Its bed is on the Ulster White Limestone which normally drains freely so the presence of water suggests a linkage with the sinks and caves on the junction between the Ulster White Limestone and the overlying Lower Basalt further south. True turloughs are closed lakes whose surface level is that of the groundwater in surrounding limestones, fluctuating seasonally as groundwater level fluctuates. Although this lake often dries out in summer, the local hydrology suggests that it is not a classic turlough.
As a unique phenomenon associated with the Co. Antrim Karst, this site has special importance and deserves protection.
As a unique phenomenon associated with the Co. Antrim Karst, this site has special importance and deserves protection.
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2024. County Antrim Karst; Turlough, County Antrim, site summary. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/summary.php?item=437. Accessed on 2024-12-26 |
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