sedimentary
Fossiliferous Limestone
Bioclastic Limestone (Calcium Carbonate, CaCO3)
Hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale, color ranges from grey to tan and reddish hues, vitreous to dull luster, crystal structure is trigonal/hexagonal (calcite), cleavage is rhombohedral.
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Fossiliferous Limestone in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale, color ranges from grey to tan and reddish hues, vitreous to dull luster, crystal structure is trigonal/hexagonal (calcite), cleavage is rhombohedral.
Formation & geological history
Formed in marine environments through the accumulation and compaction of organic carbonate debris, such as shells and skeletal fragments of marine organisms, often dating from the Paleozoic to Cenozoic eras.
Uses & applications
Used in construction, production of cement, aggregate, and as a popular specimen for fossil collectors and educational purposes.
Geological facts
Limestone often preserves delicate details of ancient marine life, acting as a historical archive of Earth's past shallow sea ecosystems.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its reaction to dilute hydrochloric acid (effervescence) and visible fossil inclusions such as brachiopods or crinoids.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Quartz pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
sedimentary
Generic Pebble / Rock Fragment
Lithic fragment / Weathered rock
sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary
Fossiliferous Concretion
Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids
fossil
Banded Siltstone / Mudstone Pebble
Siltstone / Argillite
sedimentary