23 Facts About Limestone

Limestone is a common type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime.

Limestone often contains fossils, and these provide scientists with information on ancient environments and on the evolution of life.

Limestone is exposed over large regions of the Earth's surface, and because limestone is slightly soluble in rainwater, these exposures often are eroded to become karst landscapes.

Limestone has numerous uses: as a building material, an essential component of concrete, as aggregate for the base of roads, as white pigment or filler in products such as toothpaste or paints, as a chemical feedstock for the production of lime, as a soil conditioner, and as a popular decorative addition to rock gardens.

Limestone is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate.

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Limestone often contains variable amounts of silica in the form of chert or siliceous skeletal fragments.

Limestone that is unusually rich in organic matter can be almost black in color, while traces of iron or manganese can give limestone an off-white to yellow to red color.

Limestone composed mostly of ooids is called an oolite or sometimes an oolitic limestone.

Limestone often contains larger crystals of calcite, ranging in size from 0.

Limestone outcrops are recognized in the field by their softness and because limestone bubbles vigorously when a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid is dropped on it.

Limestone is partially soluble, especially in acid, and therefore forms many erosional landforms.

Limestone is less resistant to erosion than most igneous rocks, but more resistant than most other sedimentary rocks.

Limestone is a raw material that is used globally in a variety of different ways including construction, agriculture and as industrial materials.

Limestone is very common in architecture, especially in Europe and North America.

Limestone, metamorphosed by heat and pressure produces marble, which has been used for many statues, buildings and stone tabletops.

Limestone is readily available and relatively easy to cut into blocks or more elaborate carving.

Limestone is long-lasting and stands up well to exposure, which explains why many limestone ruins survive.

Limestone was most popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Limestone was a very popular building block in the Middle Ages in the areas where it occurred, since it is hard, durable, and commonly occurs in easily accessible surface exposures.

Limestone is the raw material for production of lime, primarily known for treating soils, purifying water and smelting copper.

Limestone formations are common sources of metal ores, because their porosity and permeability, together with their chemical activity, promotes ore deposition in the limestone.

Limestone is a major industrial raw material that is in constant demand.

Limestone was classified as a critical raw material, and with the potential risk of shortages, it drove industries to find new alternative materials and technological systems.