Quarry
204228
222664550
2008-06-30T14:33:57Z
Cimon Avaro
9993
copyedit and comment out editorialization
{{otheruses}}
{{Unreferenced|date=July 2007}}
[[Image:Hanson Aggregates Bellefonte PA.jpg|thumb|right|Crushed [[limestone]] [[quarry]] near [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]]]]
A '''quarry''' is a type of [[open-pit mining|open-pit mine]] from which [[rock (geology)|rock]] or [[minerals]] are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting [[building material]]s, such as [[dimension stone]]. Quarries are usually shallower than other types of open-pit mines.
A quarry is often mistaken for other types of open-pit or open-cast mines such as [[Borrow pit|borrow]] or [[gravel pit]]s.
Types of rock extracted from quarries include:
*[[Cinder]]
*[[China Clay]]
*[[Coquina]]
*[[Construction aggregate]]
*[[Granite]]
*[[Gritstone]]
*[[Gypsum]] ''a mineral''
*[[Limestone]]
*[[Marble]]
*[[Sandstone]]
*[[Slate]]
Quarries in level areas often have special [[engineering]] problems for [[drainage]]. The Coquina Quarry is excavated to more than sixty feet (18 meters) below sea level. To reduce surface leakage, a [[moat]] lined with [[clay]] was constructed around the entire quarry. [[Ground water]] that seeps into the pit is pumped up into the moat.
Many quarries fill with water to become [[pond]]s or small [[lake]]s after abandonment for mining purposes. Others have become [[landfill]]s.
{{-}}
<gallery>
Image:Stone quarry adelaide.JPG|[[Construction aggregate]] quarry near [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]]
Image:Quarry8093.JPG|Coquina Quarry sixty feet below sea level, [[Conway, South Carolina]]
Image:Dimension Stone QuarryUSGOV.jpg|A [[dimension stone]] quarry.
Image:Cinder quarry.jpg|A small cinder quarry.
Image:SandersQuarryIndiana.JPG|An abandoned [[limestone]] quarry.
Image:099Kraków.JPG|Former quarry in [[Kraków]], [[Poland]]
Image:PortlandQuarry.jpg|[[Portland Stone]] quarry on the [[Isle of Portland]], [[England]].
Image:Round Mountain Quarry.jpg|[[Basalt]] quarry on the [[Holyoke Range]] of [[Massachusetts]].
</gallery>
{{-}}
In the Middle Ages the Arena di Verona was used as a quarry for other buildings.
Quarrying is taking rock from the ground or hills, either by digging with machines or by breaking up the rock with explosives.
Limestone rock is used in the manufacture of iron and steel; in making agricultural land more fertile by reducing acidity. It is used more than any other stone in motorways, roads. In the UK and Europe limestone is used for a large fraction of all concrete. Technologically it will play a big part in future efforts to reduce sulphur emissions from industry and will very likely play some role in controlling how and where carbon is sequestered.
<!--Disadvantages are that the quarrying is very noisy with lots of dust and large numbers of heavy lorries travelling constantly through the country on roads never built for such traffic and through viilages and small rural towns.In addition the look of the country can be spoiled when quite large hills are quarried away. - commenting this out for now as totally unencyclopaedic in tone -->
==See also==
{{commonscat|Quarries}}
*[[Clay pit]]
*[[Collecting fossils]]
*[[Gravel pit]]
*[[Kouloura]]
*[[List of minerals]]
*[[List of rock types]]
*[[List of stone|List of stones]]
*[[Mountaintop removal mining]]
==External links==
*[http://www.webcastgroup.com/client/start.asp?wid=0670524062527 See How Rock Is Quarried]
{{Mining techniques}}
[[Category:Surface mining]]
{{geology-stub}}
[[cy:Chwarel]]
[[da:Stenbrud]]
[[de:Steinbruch]]
[[es:Cantera]]
[[fr:Carrière (géologie)]]
[[he:מחצבה]]
[[ja:採石場]]
[[lt:Karjeras]]
[[nl:Groeve]]
[[no:Pukkverk]]
[[pl:Kamieniołom]]
[[pt:Pedreira (geologia)]]
[[ru:Карьер]]
[[simple:Quarry]]
[[sk:Lom (ťažba)]]
[[sv:Stenbrott]]
[[tr:Taş ocağı]]
[[uk:Кар'єр]]
[[wa:Cårire]]
[[zh:沙石场]]