Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
History
Origin
New Zealand
Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet
Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Maintenance
More
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
58% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
61% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
36% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
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
Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, 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
Types
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits
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
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Present
Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
17% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
78% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
86% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Streak
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2
Rank: 27 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
1
Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 11 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
United Kingdom
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
South America
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula