sedimentary
Limestone
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)
Hardness: 3 on Mohs scale, Color: Light grey to white, Luster: Dull to earthy, Crystal Structure: Trigonal (calcite), Cleavage: Perfect rhombohedral, Specific Gravity: 2.7
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Limestone in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 3 on Mohs scale, Color: Light grey to white, Luster: Dull to earthy, Crystal Structure: Trigonal (calcite), Cleavage: Perfect rhombohedral, Specific Gravity: 2.7
Formation & geological history
Formed by the accumulation of organic remains such as shells and coral, or through the chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate from water in marine environments.
Uses & applications
Used extensively in construction (as building material and an aggregate for roads), manufacturing of cement, agriculture to neutralize acidic soil, and in the production of lime.
Geological facts
Limestone often contains fossils of ancient marine organisms due to its formation in shallow tropical marine waters.
Field identification & locations
Can be easily identified in the field by its characteristic effervescence (fizzing) when a drop of weak hydrochloric acid or vinegar is applied, due to the release of carbon dioxide.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Quartz pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
sedimentary
Fossiliferous Concretion
Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids
fossil
Generic Pebble / Rock Fragment
Lithic fragment / Weathered rock
sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary
Banded Siltstone / Mudstone Pebble
Siltstone / Argillite
sedimentary