Maud Monday #21 / Rock Facts #1

http://pinkiepiefanclub.deviantart.com/art/RAWR-Limestone-Pie-613046952

Maud likes rocks. But "maud" isn't a type of rock.

However, limestone is. Let's talk about limestone!





    Limestone is a sedimentary rock. It is mainly composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and forms most usually in marine environments, but is also able to via evaporation.

    This rock is used for many things. It lends itself well to construction, mostly in the form of crushed stone. It was used in the Great Pyramid of Giza, medieval churches and castles in Europe, and blast furnaces, and today it also appears in roofing, floor tiles, aggregate for asphalt concrete roads, and even some medicines and cosmetics. Limestone also finds its place in sculpting.

    Some varieties of limestone are chalk, coquina, fossiliferous, lithographic, micrite, oolitic, sparite, travertine, and tufa. Most limestone found in nature has a granular texture to it, their constituent ranging from .001mm (4*10^-5 inches) to visible particles. It has a hardness of 3–4 on Moh's scale, a density of about 2.5–2.65 Kg/m3, and it is very resistant to weather. Its color varies generally from whites to off-whites.

    The pros of limestone are its usefulness in construction, both for structure and veneer. Its softness lets it be shaped easily though it also is a good base material. The cons are that it erodes and stains easily, can crumble, chip, or crack, etc. It's acid-sensitive, meaning it readily dissolves in acid; this is why acidic products shouldn't be used on limestone surfaces. It's fragile in some ways but strong in others.

    Some other fun facts:

• Limestone may be added to breads and cereals as a source of calcium.
• It can suppress methane explosions, especially in coal mines.
• Indiana, U.S. has been a long time supplier of Indiana limestone. A great many well-known European buildings use Portland limestone.
• About 10% of all sedimentary rocks are limestone.
• Landscapes of limestone can be formed via erosion, creating karsts. 
• Limestone makes up the top layer of the repeating pattern of it, shale, sandstone, and composite rocks in the Grand Canyon.
• Powdered limestone gets used in paint, paper, plastics, and rubber as filler.
• This is the rock Limestone Pie is named for!

Well, thanks for reading! This was an interesting new thing for me to try, a little informally written essay on rocks. Hope you found this intriguing!

How are you all today, anyhow?