Quarry: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|A place from which a geological material has been excavated from the ground}} |
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{{distinguish-otheruses2|Query (disambiguation){{!}}Query|Quarry}} |
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{{Refimprove|date=July 2007}} |
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[[File:Carrara-panorama_delle_cave4.jpg|thumb|[[Carrara marble|Carrara quarry]] in [[Tuscany]], [[Italy]]]] |
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[[File:PortlandQuarry.jpg|thumb|[[Portland stone]] quarry on the [[Isle of Portland]], England]] |
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[[File:Stone quarry adelaide.JPG|thumb|An abandoned [[construction aggregate]] quarry near [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]]]] |
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[[File:Stone_Quarry_Kerala.JPG|thumb|right|An abandoned stone quarry in [[Kerala]], [[India]] with a pond in it]] |
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[[Image:0 Carrières du Hainaut à Soignies (2).JPG|thumb|Stone quarry in [[Soignies]], [[Hainaut (province)]], Belgium]] |
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[[File:Cava Matera Inerti.png|thumb|[[Matera]] quarry in [[Basilicata]], [[Italy]]]] |
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A '''quarry''' is a type of [[open-pit mining|open-pit mine]] in which [[dimension stone]], [[rock (geology)|rock]], [[construction aggregate]], [[riprap]], [[sand]], [[gravel]], or [[slate]] is excavated from the ground. |
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The word ''quarry'' can also include the underground quarrying for stone, such as [[Bath stone]]. |
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==Types of rock== |
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Types of rock extracted from quarries include: |
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*[[Chalk]] |
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*[[China clay]] |
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*[[Cinder]] |
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*[[Clay]] |
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*[[Coal]] |
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*[[Construction aggregate]] ([[sand]] and [[gravel]]) |
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*[[Coquina]] |
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*[[Diabase]] |
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*[[Gabbro]] |
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*[[Granite]] |
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*[[Gritstone]] |
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*[[Gypsum]] |
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*[[Limestone]] |
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*[[Marble]] |
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*[[Ore]]s |
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*[[Phosphate rock]] |
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*[[Sandstone]] |
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*[[Slate]] |
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==Slabs== |
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Many quarry stones such as [[marble]], [[granite]], [[limestone]], and [[sandstone]] are cut into larger slabs and removed from the quarry. The surfaces are polished and finished with varying degrees of sheen or [[lustre (mineralogy)|luster]]. Polished slabs are often cut into [[tile]]s or [[countertop]]s and installed in many kinds of residential and commercial properties. Natural stone quarried from the earth is often considered a luxury and tends to be a highly durable surface, thus highly desirable. |
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==Problems== |
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[[File:Carrara_12.JPG|thumb|Extraction work in a marble quarry in [[Carrara]], [[Italy]]]] |
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Quarries in level areas with shallow [[groundwater]] or which are located close to surface water often have [[engineering]] problems with [[drainage]]. Generally the water is removed by pumping while the quarry is operational, but for high inflows more complex approaches may be required. For example, the Coquina quarry is excavated to more than {{Convert|60|ft}} below sea level. To reduce surface leakage, a [[moat]] lined with [[clay]] was constructed around the entire quarry. Ground water entering the pit is pumped up into the moat. As a quarry becomes deeper, water inflows generally increase and it also becomes more expensive to lift the water higher during removal; this can become the limiting factor in quarry depth. Some water-filled quarries are worked from beneath the water, by dredging. |
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Many people and municipalities consider quarries to be eyesores and require various abatement methods to address problems with noise, dust, and appearance. One of the more effective and famous examples of successful quarry restoration is [[Butchart Gardens]] in Victoria, BC, Canada. |
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A further problem is pollution of roads from trucks leaving the quarries. To control and restrain the pollution of public roads, [[wheel washing system]]s are becoming more common. |
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===Quarry lakes=== |
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{{main|Quarry lake}} |
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Many quarries naturally fill with water after abandonment and become [[lake]]s. Others are made into [[landfill]]s. |
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Water-filled quarries can be very deep with water, often 50 feet or more, that is often surprisingly cold. Unexpectedly cold water can cause a swimmer's muscles to suddenly weaken; it can also cause [[Shock (circulatory)|shock]] and even [[hypothermia]].<ref name=ACA>{{cite web|url=http://www.enter.net/~skimmer/coldwater.html |title=American Canoe Association explanation of cold shock |publisher=Enter.net |date= |accessdate=2012-05-14}}</ref> Though quarry water is often very clear, submerged quarry stones and abandoned equipment make diving into these quarries extremely dangerous. Several people drown in quarries each year.<ref name=USDoL>{{cite web|url=http://www.msha.gov/SOSA/previousfatalstats.asp |title=US Dept. of Labor list of mine related fatalities |publisher=Msha.gov |date= |accessdate=2012-05-14}}</ref><ref name=GEO>{{cite web|url=http://geology.com/articles/abandoned-mines.shtml |title=on quarry drownings |publisher=Geology.com |date=2007-11-03 |accessdate=2012-05-14}}</ref> However, many inactive quarries are converted into safe swimming sites. |
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Such lakes, even lakes within active quarries, can provide important habitat for animals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sievers |first1=Michael |title=Sand quarry wetlands provide high-quality habitat for native amphibians |journal=Web Ecology |date=19 May 2017 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=19–27 |doi=10.5194/we-17-19-2017}}</ref> |
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{{Wide image|Rummu karjäär1.jpg|600px|An abandoned limestone quarry in Rummu, Estonia.}} |
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==See also== |
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{{Portal|Mining}} |
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*[[Clay pit]] |
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*[[Coal mining]] |
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*[[Collecting fossils]] |
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*[[Gravel pit]] |
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*[[List of minerals]] |
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*[[List of rock types]] |
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*[[List of stone]]s |
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*[[Miner]] |
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*[[Mountaintop removal mining]] |
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*[[Opencast mining]] |
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*[[Quarry lake]] |
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*[[Quarries (biblical)]] |
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==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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{{commons category|Quarries}} |
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{{wiktionarypar}} |
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{{Mining techniques}} |
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{{Stonemasonry}} |
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[[Category:Environmental impact of mining]] |
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[[Category:Quarries| ]] |
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[[Category:Surface mining]] |
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