sedimentary
Fossiliferous Limestone
Bioclastic Limestone (Calcium Carbonate, CaCO3)
Hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale, color ranges from grey to dark brown with visible white fossil fragments, dull to earthy luster, cryptocrystalline to microcrystalline structure, good cleavage in rhombohedral directions for pure calcite, specific gravity around 2.7.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale, color ranges from grey to dark brown with visible white fossil fragments, dull to earthy luster, cryptocrystalline to microcrystalline structure, good cleavage in rhombohedral directions for pure calcite, specific gravity around 2.7.
Formation & geological history
Formed in marine environments through the accumulation and compaction of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as brachiopods, crinoids, or corals, typically dating from the Paleozoic to Mesozoic eras.
Uses & applications
Used in construction, production of lime and cement, road base material, and valued by fossil collectors for embedded prehistoric remnants.
Geological facts
Limestone often preserves delicate ancient structures, and this specimen clearly shows fossil impressions or skeletal remains embedded in the dark matrix.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified in the field by its effervescence when exposed to dilute hydrochloric acid due to the presence of calcium carbonate, and by visible fossil molds or casts.
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