How many rock layers are porous in Malta?

This means that it was the first to form. It is a hard rock, porous and has a white/grey colour. The Lower Coralline Limestone is mainly used for road surfacing and in concrete mixtures. Now that we have gone through the 5 Maltese Rock layers, take a look at these rock samples and decide which rock layer is it.

What are Maltese rocks called?

Globigerina Limestone
The Globigerina Limestone (Maltese: Franka) is a soft, gold-coloured limestone of Aquitanian to Langhian age (~23–14 million years old), ranging in thickness from 23 m to 207 m. It contains many fossils, especially those of the foraminifera Globigerina that give it its name.

How were the Maltese Islands formed?

The five Formations of strata that make up the surface rock of the Maltese Islands originally formed as carbonate sediments deposited on the sea bed of the Pelagian Spur during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs (from about 30 to 5 million yeas age).

What is the stone in Malta?

limestone
For centuries, millennia even, one building material has dominated Maltese architecture – and that’s limestone. There’s a reason why locals call Malta ‘The Rock’. The Maltese Islands themselves, and almost everything on them, are, quite literally, carved in stone. Limestone in Malta is abundant.

What kind of rock are the Maltese Islands made of?

Each colour shows a particular type of rock that makes up the islands. The Maltese Islands are made up of 5 different rock types. These are namely; Upper Coralline Limestone, Greensand, Blue Clay, Globigerina Limestone and Lower Coralline Limestone.

Which is the oldest rock layer in Malta?

In the case of the Maltese rock layers, the oldest sediments of lower coralline limestone were deposited in the Mediterranean Sea around 35 million years ago while the most recent layers of upper coralline limestone were only formed a mere 7 million years ago.

What kind of stone is used in Malta?

Since prehistoric times, this limestone has constituted the majority of building material used in Malta. Exposed to the air, the stone takes on a rosy colour, which browns with the formation of a protective patina.

How old is the coralline limestone in Malta?

Its permeable nature and its position immediately above the Blue Clay allow for the infiltration of rainwater. The top layer, the Upper Coralline Limestone ( Maltese: Qawwi ta’ Fuq ), is the youngest formation of Messinian age (~7–5 million years old) and is around 140 m thick.