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Limestone
Limestone

Marble
Marble



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Limestone
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Limestone vs Marble

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Definition

Definition

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time

History

Origin

New Zealand
Egypt

Discoverer

Belsazar Hacquet
Unknown

Etymology

From lime and stone in late 14th Century
From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic or Non-Clastic
Granular

Color

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

More
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Banded
Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
-

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium
As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa
Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble

Features

Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Absent

Formation

Formation

Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-43-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Medium Grained

Fracture

Splintery
-

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Perfect

Toughness

1
-

Specific Gravity

2.3-2.72.86-2.87
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.3-2.7 g/cm32.4-2.7 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.91 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
China, India

Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Namibia

Europe

United Kingdom
Italy, Spain

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
-

South America

Colombia
-

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Limestone vs Marble Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Limestone and Marble Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Limestone vs Marble information and Limestone vs Marble characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Limestone vs Marble Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Limestone vs Marble characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Marble. Learn more about Limestone vs Marble in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marble include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Marble, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Limestone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium and that of Marble include As dimension stone.

More about Limestone and Marble

Here you can know more about Limestone and Marble. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Marble consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Marble includes Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Marble, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Marble is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Marble. Hardness of Limestone and Marble is 3-4. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Marble are Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Limestone and Marble is white. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Marble is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Limestone is pressure resistant whereas Marble is heat resistant.