type of disappearing lake found in limestone areas in the west of ireland
turlough turlough, or turlach A turlough, or turlach
title: Turlough (lake) text: Turlough (lake) A turlough, or turlach, is a type of disappearing lake found mostly in limestone areas of Ireland, west of the River Shannon. The name comes from the Irish "tur", meaning "dry", with the suffix "-lach", meaning "a place" (in an abstract sense). The "-lach" suffix is often mistakenly spelled and/or thought to refer to the word "loch", the Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Scots word for "lake". The landforms are found in Irish karst (exposed limestone) areas. The features are almost unique to Ireland, although there is one example in Great Britain, at Cernydd Carmel near Llandeilo. They are title: Geology of Ireland text: formed in these waters, eventually creating the limestone that still makes up about 65 per cent of the area of the island. As the waters receded, tropical forests and swamps flourished. The resulting vegetable debris eventually formed coal, most of which was later eroded. This period, known as the Carboniferous period, ended with further tectonic movement which saw Ireland drift further northward. The resulting pressure created those Irish mountain and hill ranges that run in a northeast to southwest direction. By 250 million years ago, Ireland was at the latitude of present-day Egypt and had a desert climate. It was title: Lake Disappear text: the next valley with Bridal Veil fall] drains underground through limestone (Elgood Limestone). During times of prolonged heavy rain, water backs up behind the outlet to form a sizable lake over what are normally dry alluvial flats.” Elgood Limestone (an outcrop is in the photo - see Gallery - to the left) is part of the Glen Massey Formation. The geology guide describes it as, “forming prominent bluffs or surface outcrops displaying solution channels, lapiez, and sinkholes, and is everywhere a light grey, flaggy limestone containing up to 95% CaCO. Glauconite is common throughout, together with Mesozoic pebbles and greensand title: Lake Disappear text: near the base”. About its late Whaingaroan (about 27 million years ago) creation, it says, “The change from estuarine, shallow brackish water conditions (Mangakotuku Formation), to fully marine, open sea, aerobic conditions (Glen Massey Formation) is evidenced by near shore accumulation of the bioclastic Elgood Limestone, onlap of the succeeding Dunphail Siltstone, and subsequent deposition of Ahirau Sandstone in an inner to mid shelf environment.” Pakihi is a Māori term now commonly used to describe poorly drained, infertile land. Much of the watershed of Lake Disappear was podocarp forest but is now mostly sheep and beef farms, with Te Uku title: Geography of Ireland text: into disuse, the soil began to leach and become more acidic, producing a suitable environment for the growth of heather and rushes. The debris from these plants accumulated and a layer of peat formed. One of the largest expanses of Atlantic blanket bog in Ireland is to be found in County Mayo. Raised bogs are most common in the Shannon basin. They formed when depressions left behind after the ice age filled with water to form lakes. Debris from reeds in these lakes formed a layer at the bottom of the water. This eventually choked the lakes and raised above