Rock

Limestone

You see me in a lot of places on the UT campus. The Cordova Shell Limestone used throughout campus comes straight from the Texas Hill Country. If you look, you can see shells and fossils which come from when Texas was covered in water during the Mesozoic era.

If you have time, maybe Rocco can introduce you to my best friend Sandstone. Sandstone and I are so close that some people can not tell us apart.

Formation

Limestone is a sedimentary rock consisting mostly of calcium carbonate. Since limestone is sedimentary, it contains small amounts of fossils, shells, and other biological sediment.

Identification

• Hardness: 3 Mohs Hardness Scale
• Grain size: Fine
• Special characteristics: Fizzes with acid

Click here to listen to Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan.