sedimentary
Fossiliferous Limestone
Biogenic Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)
Hardness: 3 (Mohs scale); Color: Tan, beige, grey; Luster: Dull/earthy; Texture: Clastic or crystalline with visible fossil fragments; Cleavage: None (fractures)
- Hardness
- 3 (Mohs scale)
- Color
- Tan, beige, grey
- Luster
- Dull/earthy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 3 (Mohs scale); Color: Tan, beige, grey; Luster: Dull/earthy; Texture: Clastic or crystalline with visible fossil fragments; Cleavage: None (fractures)
Formation & geological history
Formed in shallow marine environments from the accumulation of calcium carbonate and the skeletal remains of marine organisms such as corals, mollusks, and brachiopods over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used extensively in construction (as building stone or aggregate), lime production, agriculture for soil pH adjustment, and as decorative pieces in landscaping and fossil collecting.
Geological facts
This specimen contains visible fossil casts and imprints; limestone accounts for about 10% of the total volume of all sedimentary rocks on Earth.
Field identification & locations
Identified in the field by its characteristic fizzing (effervescence) when touched with dilute hydrochloric acid and the presence of visible fossil remains.
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