Limestone By: Luther Scaife

Formation Limestone is formed from deposition of the skeletal remains of dead sea organisms and the precipitation of the mineral calcite out of aqueous solutions with high concentrations of the mineral.

Types of Limestone The types of limestone are determine by their locations or where they are found. Aymestry Limestone Solnhofen limestone Indiana limestone Ste. Genevieve Limestone

Fossilization Many Fossils are found in Limestone rocks.

Limestone Deposits in the U.S. Found in surface exposures along the east coast of Florida, North Carolina, Indiana, Arizona, southern Utah, east central Nevada and southeast California, southern Minnesota, St. Louis, Florida Keys, West Virginia and Kentucky and western Maryland and southwestern Virginia, western South Dakota to western Montana and eastern Idaho, western Colorado and the Grand Canyon of Arizona.

Limestone Deposit in the world Egypt, British Isles, Germany, Israel, United States, Canada, Bahamas, Australia, New Zealand.

Uses Limestone was used for buildings before bricks.

Underground Many caves Around the world are composed of mainly of Limestone.

How Limestone caves are formed The caves form as limestone rock is dissolved away over the course of many years. Water, seeping through the ground, absorbs carbon dioxide from the soil. Water and carbon dioxide react chemically to form carbonic acid, a very weak acid that slowly dissolves the limestone. The mineral is usually redeposited later as stalactites or stalagmites, characteristic formations of a limestone cave.

Facts Limestone sedimentary rock wholly or in large part composed of calcium carbonate. It is ordinarily white but may be colored by impurities, iron oxide making it brown, yellow, or red and carbon making it blue, black, or gray. The texture varies from coarse to fine. Most limestones are formed by the deposition and consolidation of the skeletons of marine invertebrates.

Famous sculptures All the famous Sculptors used limestone as their base.