Middle School

What is limestone made of? How is it possible that limestone can be found in areas of dry land?

Answer :

Answer: What is limestone made of?

Limestone is formed in two ways. It can be formed with the help of living organisms and by evaporation. Ocean-dwelling organisms such as oysters, clams, mussels and coral use calcium carbonate (CaCO3) found in seawater to create their shells and bones. The water pressure compacts the sediment, creating limestone.

Answer: How is it possible that limestone can be found in area of dry land?

Limestones are common in Kansas. They are usually found where seas once covered the land. They also can be formed from deposits in freshwater or on dry land, but nonmarine limestones are less common. Most of them were formed from accumulations of marine plants and animals after they died and sank to the sea floor. If conditions were right, millions of tons of plant and animal debris were deposited and eventually compacted together. When the sea dried up, large slabs of rock were formed, often stretching for hundreds of miles in every direction. Some plant and animal remains, such as shark's teeth and dinosaur bones, have been preserved as fossils in limestone.

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Limestone is made of calcium carbonate and can form through the accumulation of marine organism remains. It can be found in dry land areas because it is resistant to weathering in the absence of moisture. Limestone is widely used in construction, industrial processes, and as decorative stone.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock primarily made of the mineral calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is often biogenic, formed from the buildup of marine invertebrates' skeletal remains and excretions. In tropical marine environments, organisms like crustaceans, mollusks, and plankton thrive. When they die, their remains contribute to the limestone formation. Limestone can also be found in dry land areas. In these regions, limestone formations remain intact due to the lack of water required for the chemical weathering process. This is because limestone primarily dissolves in moist environments where it is exposed to weakly acidic conditions. Therefore, in dry climates, limestone is relatively resistant due to its tightly interlocking mineral grains which prevent disintegration. Limestone is versatile in its uses. It is used in the manufacture of cement and lime, and in various industrial processes. Visible shell material in some limestone types makes it desirable for decorative stonework.