What Is a Quarry?

Answer:

A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often colocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement for large amounts of aggregate in those materials.

Unlike other types of mines, a quarry is usually not dug out underground, and rarely reaches a depth greater than 60 feet (18 meters). A shallow pit is excavated into a deposit of rock which runs close to the surface, and the pit is slowly expanded to remove valuable rock material.

If the quarry is being used to extract gravel or fill, explosives may be used to break it up before it is removed and loaded into trucks.

Sometimes rock suitable for quarrying is found above the ground. This is called a shelf quarry.