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Rock description: Limestones come in a variety of forms! It is a sedimentary rock that is made up of calcium carbonates, better known as calcite. Limestone forms near or in bodies of water.
Types of Limestone:
Chalk: A very fine grained and soft limestone. Typically white to light gray in color. It is formed by the shell remains of very tiny marine organisms.
Coquina: A rock formed by larger shell fragments and has very large pore space.
Fossiliferous Limestone: A limestone composed of an abundance of fossils! Made skeletal and shell remains.
Lithographic Limestone: Limestone made up of very tiny grains that all look alike. This makes for a dense rock with a smooth surface.
Oolitic Limestone: This limestone is composed of tiny spheres known as "oolites." "Oolites," are made from precipitated calcium carbonates.
Travertine: You'll find this limestone in caves because it is formed by evaporative precipitation. They can produce features like stalacites, stalagmites, and flowstone.
Tufa: A limestone formed by the precipitation of calcium-laden waters, which can be at a hot spring, lake shore, etc.
Image Source: Photo 1 & 2 - www.geology.com/rocks/limestone, 3 & 4 - www.minimegeology.com
Where is Limestone found in NC?
Limestone can be found in the Mountain, Piedmont, and Coastal regions of NC!
Video Link:
A super cool video describing stalagmites and stalacties!
FUN FACT: Did you know that limestone can be used as a fertilizer and it can be used to build houses!?
Further Reading:
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