New Begonia species found in southern Myanmar

Begonia (Begoniaceae) is one of the largest genera of angiosperms in the world. The northern and southern parts of Myanmar are likely to be the home of begonias with favorable conditions in climate, topography and vegetation. ...

Lunaemycin, a new antibiotic extracted from moonmilk deposits

A study conducted by scientists from the University of Liège and the HEDERA-22 spin-off on moon milk—a mineral deposit found in caves and used for its curative properties—has led to the discovery of a cryptic compound ...

Unearthing the sources of cave-forming sulfuric acid

A study published in the journal Geology uses isotopes of sulfur to fingerprint the sources of sulfuric acid that have carved unique and beautiful cave systems in the Pyrenees mountains of southern France.

When variations in Earth's orbit drive biological evolution

Coccolithophores are microscopic algae that form tiny limestone plates, called coccoliths, around their single cells. The shape and size of coccoliths varies according to the species. After their death, coccolithophores sink ...

Limestone improves coffee yield and profitability

The perfect cup of morning coffee. Before you even purchase the beans at the store, many things must go right before that great-tasting coffee can be poured into your favorite mug. It starts in the soil where farmers grow ...

Climate change may be accelerating ancient rock art degradation

Climate change may be accelerating the degradation of ancient rock paintings in Indonesia, including the oldest known hand stencil in the world which dates back to 39,900 years ago, according to a study published in Scientific ...

Neglected species: The symbolic significance of saving snails

Later this year, virtually all the countries on Earth are due to meet in China under the Convention on Biological Diversity to agree global conservation targets for 2030. Virtually may be the operative word, if COVID-19 precludes ...

Bacteria-based concrete offers climate benefits

"The building industry emits huge volumes of CO2", says SINTEF researcher Simone Balzer Le, who is part of a cross-disciplinary research team currently developing a biological cement called BioZEment. "The manufacture of ...

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Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera.

Limestone makes up about 10% of the total volume of all sedimentary rocks. The solubility of limestone in water and weak acid solutions leads to karst landscapes, in which water erodes the limestone over thousands to millions of years. Most cave systems are through limestone bedrock.

Limestone has numerous uses, including as a building material, as aggregate to form the base of roads, as white pigment or filler in products such as toothpaste or paints, and as a chemical feedstock.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA