Malham Cove - formed by ice and water

The Photo shows the top of Malham Cove, a 70 m high gently curving cliff of white limestone formed by the action of water and ice over millions of years. The top of the cove is a large area of deeply eroded limestone pavement in a strange pattern. Over the last one and a half million years the area was at least three times covered with ice sheets and glaciers. Each time the glaciers melted, eroding ice scoured the limestone plateau. The huge limestone cliff was created by alternate freezing and thawing of rocky outcrops. When the ground was permanently frozen, the glacial meltwater had to run over the top, resulting in a massive waterfall over the Cove. The last ice sheet in the area melted about ten thousand years ago.