Types of Limestone

Limestone can be found in six different countries.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that can be found in at least six countries around the world. Germany, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, British Isles and the United States each carry types of the stone. Thirty-five types exist in all, most of which exist in the U.S. and the British Isles. Limestone is formed in part through the erosion of seashells and fossils and is often used in home and commercial construction projects. Does this Spark an idea?

Coquina

Coquina is a popular type of limestone for building projects. The stone is most often found on the east coast of Florida and is formed through coral and seashells. Coquina is anomalous in that when it is initially quarried it is very soft and has to harden for approximately one to three years before it can be used for construction projects. Coquina has been used for centuries to build forts and homes around the world, especially in the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida, according to WorldLingo.com. Coquina can also be used for paving, as a landscape decoration and even as a fertilizer.

Keystone

Keystone limestone, also known as coral rag limestone, can be found in the State Park of Florida in the Florida Keys. The stone is considered to date back to the Pleistocene age, also referred to as the ice age. According to WorldLingo.com, keystone is formed from several types of coral including scleractinian coral, elkhorn coral and brain coral. The stone has been used to construct several government buildings and monuments in the United States.

Portland Stone

Portland stone is a type of limestone found on the Island of Portland, Dorset in the British Isles. The stone is considered to be from the Jurassic period, also known as the age of reptiles. Portland Stone has been repeatedly used in noteworthy buildings throughout the world including St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace in London and at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. In addition, all of the gravestones from soldiers killed in World War I and World War II are Portland stone, according to WorldLingo.com.

Other Types of Limestone

There are 10 additional varieties of Portland stone that add to the 35 different types of limestone. These include types such as Portland Admiralty Roach and Portland Independent Top Whitbed. Like Portland Stone, these stones are found in the British Isles and are partly composed of fossils. In addition, Corallian, Coniston, Aymestry, Lincolnshire, Carboniferous, Blisworth, and Ketton are types of limestone that are composed in the British Isles.

The Solnhofen limestone is found in Germany and is considered to be a Jurassic limestone. Meleke is found in central Israel. Oamaru stone is composed in New Zealand. Both the Tamala and Wallabi are found in Australia.

In addition to Coquina and Keystone, nine other varieties of limestone are composed in the U.S.. These include Indiana, Harrodsburg, Kaibab, Kasota, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Madison, Coral Rag and Bear Gulch. These stones are located in different regions of the country. Finally, Shelly is a type of limestone that can pop up throughout the world wherever corals exist.

References

• WorldLingo: List of types of limestone
• WorldLingo: Keystone (limestone)
• WorldLingo: Coquina (limestone)
• WorldLingo: Portland Stone
• New World Encyclopedia: Limestone