Name: Israel Desir

Class: Form 4-C

School: The Bishops’ High
Topic: Limestone
Date due: 27th February, 2020
Teacher: Sr. Smith

GEOGRAPHY
(Class Assignment)

Class Assignment
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Limestone is a hard, sedimentary rock that is composed

by mainly calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or Calcium
Magnesium Carbonate (Ca Mg (CO3)2) either in calcite or
dolomite. Its sediments are from marine organisms such
as coral and molluscs. That is why it most commonly
forms in clear, warm, and shallow marine waters. An
example is the Caribbean Sea.

All limestones contain at least a few percent other

materials, these can be small particles of things like
quartz or clay.
Picture of Tufa limestone

Types of limestone
As a sedimentary rock mostly composed of calcite, calcium carbonate and the shells and
exoskeletons of marine life, many different variations of limestone occur in nature because of the
different conditions that produce the rock[ CITATION Bre20 \l 1033 ].

Some different types of limestone are:

 Chalk-

A soft limestone with a very fine texture that is usually white or light gray
in color. Chalk is a non-clastic sedimentary rock, meaning it is formed by
chemical reactions instead of the weathering and cementation of clasts. It
is formed the calcium carbonate from the remains of many tiny marine
organisms.

 Coquina-

This is formed from the poor cementation of broken shell debris. It

often found in beaches where wave action separates shell fragments of
similar size.
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 Tufa-

This is a porous limestone produced by the precipitation of

calcium carbonate at water locations like hot springs, lake shores,
or other locations that are abundant in calcium- carbonate.

 Travertine-

Travertine occurs when the hot water of geysers or mineral springs

percolates up through limestone, bringing layers of dissolved
minerals to the surface. Travertine exists in white, tan, cream-
colored, and even rusty varieties.

It is evident from these examples that the physical attributes of

limestone are based on where and how it was formed. Therefore, several other limestone
variations exist based on their environmental factors

Uses and attributes of limestone

Limestone is a very useful rock because of its versatility. For example, it is used in the production of
aggregates, which make concrete, asphalt, and numerous other products. This cements its vitality in the
building industry.

However, its use is not limited to only the building industry. It is seen in everyday items like medicine,
makeup, toothpaste and paint. Calcium is also extracted from limestone to make food products.

Moreover, the primary source of this calcite is usually marine organisms. The secondary source comes
groundwater that precipitates in caves, these forms speleothems (stalactites, stalagmites, and pillars).
Limestone makes up 10% of the total volume of all sedimentary rocks.

Some attributes of limestone include:

 Great for strong healthy, teeth

 White or almost white (depends on purity)
 Its alkalinity, which is neutralize acidity in agriculture and other areas.
 High in calcium (Helps to make lawns green)

Furthermore, the uses of limestone include:

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 Construction

Here limestone is quarried to service the needs of the building and construction industries. The stone is
cut into either slabs or blocks with specific dimensions. Some of its applications include sculptors, floor
tiles, window sills, stair treads, and others. The famous pyramid of Giza in Egypt is made out of
limestone.

Additionally, limestones containing clay content are utilized in the production of cement. Limestone
aggregate is also used in road and railroad construction.

 Agriculture

 Usually, limestone is crushed into smaller particles and various grades are produced. Finally, these
products are sold as ‘agricultural lime’ which is again used to neutralize soil acidity as well as free up soil
minerals like phosphates.

 Industries

Powdered limestone is used in textile, paint, paper, rubber, glass, and rubber industries. The minerals
found in limestones are also used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetic products, baking soda, toothpaste, etc.

 Other uses

Limestone in powdered form is also used as a substance to absorb pollutants or control coal mine dust
at many coal-mining facilities. Lime which is byproduct of limestone is used to neutralize acids and treat
wastewater, industrial sludge, animal waste, and water supplies.

Quarrying of limestone
A quarry is a place where different types of stones are extracted.

Selection of Quarrying method

There are two ways of quarrying

 Quarrying with blasting

This method consists of using explosives for breaking stones from very hard rocks. A blast hole is
drilled and its diameter is determined by the type of explosive being used.

 Quarrying without blasting

In these methods, blocks of rock are broken loose from their natural outcrops by men using
hand tools or special purpose channeling machines.

Examples include:
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The Wedge method of quarrying

This method consists of putting holes into carefully selected places

in the rock. Once the hole is ready, a steel wedge is inserted in
between two steel strips. The wedge is then struck to develops
cracks along the lines joining the holes.

After that, long iron bars are inserted in the holes and cracks, and
then the blocks of the rocks are pushed forward onto a quarry.

Diagram showing the wedge inside the rock

The Channeling method of quarrying

In this method of quarrying, involves the use of big

machines called Channelizers which have reciprocating
cutting tools and are power driven. When single large
blocks of costly stones like marbles and limestones are
required, this method is most suitable. When a single
block is required, grooves of required depth and length
are first cut at the back and sides by the channelizer.
Holes are then drilled from the free front side
horizontally to meet the back channel at its base. Using
wedges and rods, the block is separated from the rock
and hoisted up to the transporting lorries or wagons.

Picture of a channelizer

The Heating method of quarrying

This is an older method used locally for obtaining small quantities of

stones from rocks.

Rocks are heated for a few hours by burning heaps of firewood over
their surface. Such a process results in expansion of the upper layers
and their cracking and separating from the lower layers.
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Advantages of the limestone industry

The method used to extract limestone from the earth’s crust, which includes the topmost surface of the
various layers of soil, is known as quarrying.
Some advantages include of the industry are:

 The industry provides employment opportunities that support the local economy.
 Limestone is an extremely valuable raw material things like cement, glass, paper, etc.
 Good landscaping once the quarry site has been exhausted could enhance the area’s beauty.

Limestone has many uses and advantages that stem from these three and others depending on the
conditions involved.

Disadvantages of the limestone industry

Limestone is a revolutionary material. However, the way it is obtained causes several social and
biological issues. Some of these include:

 Limestone quarries may permanently damage the surface of the environment if managed
incorrectly after quarry exhaustion. After closure of the quarry, rehabilitation
 Due to the transportation of the material, big trucks are the starting point of congested
roadways. Furthermore, these roadways can affect workers and the overall productivity of the
area or its quality of life.
 Limestone quarrying is a source of pollution. These include:

Noise pollution- The machinery and blasting of rock can cause harmful and disturbing
effects to the surrounding inhabitants of the immediate area.

Water pollution- The alkalinity of the limestone can affect animals in waterways and or
other water sources. Disturbing the pH balance and harming
ecosystems in the process.

Air pollution- Limestone quarrying as a process has its carbon footprint. The
transport of limestone quarried leads to more environmental
degradation. All uses of limestone have varying but some adverse
impact on the environment. Large rocks are blasted to extract limestone
which leads to more particulate matter in the air.

 Very large amounts of waste rocks are mined.

Therefore, this creates environmental issues as
well as economic deficits for its removal or to
obtain space to rest the rock in the first place.
For example, large volumes of overburden
would need to be removed before reaching
desirable material.
Picture showing waste rock from quarrying
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 Open pits catch rain, making them

vulnerable to flooding, which may severely
disrupt production

Picture of a flooded cave

Limestone as a material
Limestone itself is also of first concern in this assignment. This section will list its pros and cons as
primarily a building material.

Advantages of using limestone

Picture of the Great Pyramids of Giza

 It is often in high demand because of its many uses

 It is extremely affordable
 It is durable. For example, The Great pyramids of Giza were one of many historical
landmarks built using limestone. This brings us to the next point
 It can be used to restore historical landmarks.
 Because of its alkalinity, it can be used as an air purifier or a water treater.
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Disadvantages of using limestone

picture of a sinkhole in a street

 In construction, limestone has poor foundation capability. Therefore, the construction of road,
dams and mega-housing is avoided on limestone terrain. It results in caving in slightest changes
in water pH and dissolves. The best example of its foundation failure is seen in its prevalence to
create sink holes, which naturally would lead to the production of further karst features like
clints and grykes that would exacerbate the problem.

 Susceptible to acid rain

 Some of its byproducts have distinct disadvantages. For example:

i. Glass Is brittle
ii. Concrete is weak when bent or stretched. To some, when used to make bridges,
concrete is quite unattractive.

Closure
In conclusion, limestone is a very versatile material with most of its deficits being in its
extraction. This assignment touched on those and other attributes of limestone and I hope the
information was easily comprehensible and interesting.

References
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Brenner, L. (2020, February 22). Name Five Different Types of Limestone. Retrieved from sciencing.com:
https://sciencing.com/name-five-different-types-limestone-7665152.html

editor in chief, c. (2018, May 2). 10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Quarrying Limestone. Retrieved
from connectusfund.org: https://connectusfund.org/10-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-
quarrying-limestone

editors, a. (2020, February 26). limestone aggregates. Retrieved from acgmaterials.com:

https://www.acgmaterials.com/limestone-aggregates/

editors, b. (2020, February 26). uses of limestone. Retrieved from byjus.com:

https://byjus.com/chemistry/uses-of-limestone/

editors, c. (2020, February 26). quarrying of stones. Retrieved from civilseek.com:

https://civilseek.com/quarrying-of-stones/#The_Channeling_Method_of_Quarrying

editors, s. (2020, February 26). Quarries. Retrieved from solancis.com:

http://www.solancis.com/quarries/extraction

editors, s.-c. (2020, February 26). rocks and landscapes. Retrieved from s-cool.co.uk: https://www.s-
cool.co.uk/gcse/geography/rocks-and-landscapes/revise-it/quarrying

King, H. M. (2020, February 22). what is limestone and how is it used. Retrieved from geology.com:
https://geology.com/rocks/limestone.shtml

Lobo, R. (2018, October 22). What are the advantages and disadvantages of limestone. Retrieved from
quora.com: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-limestone

Lokesh, C. (2018, March). uses of limestone. Retrieved from Discourse.com:

https://ask.learncbse.in/t/where-do-we-find-limestone-and-what-are-its-uses/23180