Water
The story of how Ireland鈥檚 unique landscape of mountains, valleys and coastline has been carved and sculpted by the dominant forces of water and ice over millions of years.
With the rocks that make up the island of Ireland now in place, this is the story of the island鈥檚 intricate and intimate relationship with water and ice.
At Killary Fjord, the immense bulldozing power of the glaciers which eroded and shaped the island through millenia-long cycles of formidable ice ages can be seen. In Norway, there's a look back through a window in time to see how ice continues to carve and mould the landscape.
From Croagh Patrick, there's a spectacular view of the ice-sculpted drumlins of Clew Bay, plus the intriguing 鈥榬aised beaches鈥� in Donegal which reveal clues of ancient shorelines where the ice retreated into the sea. In Dublin Bay, there's a look at how sea levels were once so low that it may have been possible to walk to Wales.
Millions of years of geological processes have provided ideal conditions for huge quantities of water to move beneath our feet 鈥� from the unexpected source of the River Shannon to the water gently seeping through the limestone to form the stunning Marble Arch Caves in County Fermanagh. This flow and interconnection of water is central to our historical and cultural identity, and so there's a look at the 鈥榲anishing lakes鈥�, or turloughs, that are almost unique to Ireland as a direct consequence of the island's geology and climactic conditions.
Ireland鈥檚 marine territory is ten times larger than the land, so there's an expedition offshore to see how the latest seabed mapping technology offers fascinating insight into the processes that forged the island over millions of years. Plus the shipwrecks that reveal our rich maritime lore, and just beyond the far edge of Ireland鈥檚 territorial waters, a look at the black smokers that offer fascinating clues to the origins of life.
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