HPT 101: Lesson 6: The Origin of Limestone
In this lesson we wonder how there can be so much limestone across the planet and we see how a simple chemical equation (not to mention common sense) disproves what most geology books teach about limestone.
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VIDEOS:
Video 6A: Stuff you need to know before watching 6B (32 min.)
Here is the template page your will need: HPT101 6A template page
Some very short videos reminding us of the mainstream explanation of limestone:
This is about as detailed as any explanation gets, and it is still less than 2 minutes long. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX4BTiCtuto
This is very cute and has nice music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMX3BJZHgi4
This cave tour guide will give you the same story in less than a minute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbAcvvLxGZA
Here we see the shelled creatures that supposedly made the limestone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z34geFooiE (Does the presence of shelled animal fossils in the limestone prove that they MADE it? We can find many areas of limestone that have no fossils at all.)
Video 6B: Limestone formation video by Bryan Nickel (18 min.)
No template page needed for this video.
NOTE: I’ve mentioned this once before in a previous lesson, but I will again point out that the ITB textbook doesn’t give any explanation of where the carbon was coming from to create the CaCO3 in the subterranean chamber. For now, we can assume that there was either carbon dioxide present in the water, or else there was a mineral source not previously mentioned, such as the pillars being made out of diamond, which is pure carbon and is the strongest substance we know of.) Bear in mind that theories inevitably get fine-tuned (or discarded) as time goes on.
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Suggested activities for this lesson:
Activity 6.1: LAB:
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SUGGESTED FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES for students using this course for credit:
READING: Read the chapter titled “The Origin of Limestone”
MORE READING: If you are interested in learning more about limestone, here is a chapter from my book “Rocks and Dirt.” (You will recognize the cute atom characters and some of the rock pictures.)
Click here to download limestone chapter