Difference Between Limestone and Marble

Limestone vs Marble

The world we live in is very big and diverse. Its outer and inner layers are made up of different materials, and it is composed of water, gases, and other matter, but it is also composed of rocks. These rocks have three types, namely:

Igneous rock which is made up of magma or lava that has solidified.
Sedimentary rock which is made up of mineral and organic particles that have accumulated in an area.
Metamorphic rock which is made up of igneous or sedimentary rocks that have been subjected to high temperature causing them to crystallize.

Examples of metamorphic rock are: slate, quartzite, schist, gneiss, and marble. Examples of sedimentary rock are conglomerate, breccias, sandstone, siltstone, shale, chert, coal, halite, gypsum, and limestone.

Limestone is a rock that is formed when mud, sand, and shells are deposited in oceans and lakes and develop into a sedimentary rock. Since it is made up of fossilized particles, it is porous and is soluble in water. It is composed of silica, clay, silt, and sand. It also has many colors and may be crystalline, clastic, granular, or massive.
Although it is a heavy material and is not suitable for use in tall buildings, the great pyramid is made with limestone. It lasts long and is easy to cut and carve although it is more expensive than other materials. It has many uses such as:

Raw material for cement, mortar, and lime.
The manufacturing of cosmetics, medicines, glass, paper, plastic, tiles, and toothpaste.
Building material, artwork, pollution control, and soil neutralizer.
Source of calcium and water treatment.
Petroleum reservoir.

Marble, on the other hand, is a rock formed when limestone recrystallizes into marble during the mountain-building process. When rocks are formed, limestone is heated and squeezed which causes the grains to recrystallize.
It is metamorphic and is usually used as building material and in sculptures. Marble has many colors because of the mineral impurities in the limestone. Those that are used in sculptures are usually white. Light-colored marbles are used in various industries, and polished calcite, dolomite, and serpentine marble are used in construction.

Summary:

1.Limestone is a type of rock which is formed when mud, sand, and shells are deposited in oceans and lakes while marble is a type of rock which is formed by the recrystallization of limestone during the mountain-building process.
2.Both come in many colors and are used as building materials and other industrial uses. Limestone is used as raw material for several products while marble is suitable for use in creating sculptured works of art.
3.Limestone is a sedimentary rock while marble is a metamorphic rock.
4.Heat and pressure causes the formation of marble while they are not necessary for the formation of limestone.
5.Limestone is more porous than marble while marble is harder than limestone.
6.Limestone has gray, white, or black colors while marble, although most commonly white in color, has more diverse colors such as green and light-colored marble.

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