Flark
Landform in a bog
A flark is a depression or hollow within a bog. Flarks typically occur as a series of parallel depressions, separated by intervening ridges known as strings.
Early theories suggested that flarks were formed by frost heaving, but flarks have since been found in areas where frost heaving does not occur. Flarks are now thought to form when the peat that forms the base of the bog becomes so thick that it slides downslope due to its own weight. Irregularities in the underlying terrain halt the slide of the peat, causing flarks to form downslope from the obstruction as the downslope peat tears away from the portion of the peat mass held back by the underlying obstruction. Another theory suggests that flarks are formed by areas within the bog which experience accelerated rates of decay, causing depressions in the bog.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Flark”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Day744 02.jpg by Benwymore, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Strängflarkkärr.jpg by Boldie, CC BY-SA 4.0
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