limestone
Marble is metamorphosed limestone. This topic is part of Geology within Science & Nature. This page currently draws on 26 supporting questions, with answers and bonus facts available below.
limestone trivia questions
Limestone is composed mainly of what mineral?
Answer: Calcite
Bonus fact: Calcite is calcium carbonate.
Many caves form when slightly acidic groundwater dissolves what rock?
Answer: Limestone
Bonus fact: Carbonic acid in water dissolves calcium carbonate.
Limestone that recrystallizes under heat and pressure becomes what?
Answer: Marble
Bonus fact: Marble is metamorphosed limestone.
What mineral deposit hangs downward from the ceiling of a limestone cave?
Answer: Stalactite
Bonus fact: Stalactites form on cave ceilings, while stalagmites grow upward from cave floors.
Most large limestone caves form through the dissolution of rock by water containing weak what acid?
Answer: Carbonic acid
Bonus fact: Rainwater absorbs carbon dioxide and forms weak carbonic acid that can slowly dissolve limestone.
What mineral commonly forms limestone cave stalactites?
Answer: Calcite
Bonus fact: Calcium carbonate precipitates from dripping water.
What famous limestone landmark dominates Gibraltar?
Answer: Rock of Gibraltar
Bonus fact: The Rock rises steeply above the strait.
Many limestone caves form when slightly acidic water dissolves what?
Answer: Limestone
Bonus fact: Carbonic acid reacts with calcium carbonate.
Which U.S. national park contains more than 119 caves formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone?
Answer: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Bonus fact: NPS notes that more than 90% of the world's limestone caves form mainly through carbonic acid, making Carlsbad's sulfuric-acid origin unusual.
What type of landscape commonly develops where water dissolves rocks such as limestone or marble?
Answer: Karst
Bonus fact: USGS notes that caves are a characteristic feature of many karst landscapes because groundwater dissolves limestone.
Why is Carlsbad Cavern's origin unusual compared with most limestone caves?
Answer: It was dissolved largely by sulfuric acid
Bonus fact: NPS says carbonic acid is the main dissolving agent in more than 90 percent of the world's limestone caves.
Reef-building coral polyps secrete skeletons made mainly of what?
Answer: Calcium carbonate
Bonus fact: Their limestone skeletons build reefs over time.