sedimentary
Limestone
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)
Hardness: 3 (Mohs scale), Color: Cream, Tan, Gray, Luster: Dull or Earthy, Structure: Microcrystalline with visible porosity and small pits
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 (Mohs scale), Color: Cream, Tan, Gray, Luster: Dull or Earthy, Structure: Microcrystalline with visible porosity and small pits
Formation & geological history
Formed by the accumulation of shell, coral, algal, and fecal debris in warm, shallow marine waters. This specific specimen appears to be a weathered fragment showing vuggy porosity.
Uses & applications
Primary source of lime for cement, used as a building stone, road base, and soil conditioner in agriculture.
Geological facts
Approximately 10% of all sedimentary rocks are limestones. It often contains fossils of ancient marine life.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified in the field or at home by its reaction to dilute hydrochloric acid (it will fizz or effervesce). Common in karst landscapes.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary
Fossiliferous Concretion
Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids
fossil
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary
Brown Sandstone (River Rock)
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Argillaceous sedimentary rock
sedimentary