sedimentary
Limestone
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectMohs hardness of 3; colors range from white, grey, to tan; dull to earthy luster; crystal system is hexagonal (calcite).
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness of 3; colors range from white, grey, to tan; dull to earthy luster; crystal system is hexagonal (calcite).
Formation & geological history
Formed through the accumulation of skeletal fragments of marine organisms or chemical precipitation, typically in shallow marine environments over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Widely used in construction as building material, aggregate in road base, and as a primary raw material for manufacturing cement and agricultural lime.
Geological facts
Limestone often contains well-preserved fossils and dissolves slowly in acidic water, creating dramatic karst topography, caves, and sinkholes.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its characteristic fizz when a weak acid like vinegar is applied. Found abundantly worldwide in sedimentary basins.
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Other sedimentary specimens
Fossil-bearing concretion, possibly containing a fossil shell or other organic inclusion
Calcareous concretion; exact fossil and host-rock composition are not identifiable from the image
fossil
Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint
fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary
Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone)
Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)
sedimentary