Quarry Facts for Kids

A quarry for marble, in Greece

Stone quarry in Soignies, Hainaut (province), Belgium.

A quarry is a type of open pit mine that is used to get rocks and minerals from the ground. Quarries are often used to cut stone from the ground in large pieces or blocks. These are called dimension stones. They are used for building things. Some quarries fill with water to make small lakes when they are no longer being used for mining.

The largest granite quarry in the world is run by Rock of Ages Corporation in Vermont, USA.

Types of rock
Slabs
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Types of rock

Types of rock extracted from quarries include:

Chalk
China clay
Cinder
Clay
Coal
Construction aggregate (sand and gravel)
Coquina
Diabase
Gabbro
Granite
Gritstone
Gypsum
Limestone
Marble
Ores
Phosphate rock
Quartz
Sandstone
Slate

Slabs

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 luster. Polished slabs are often cut into tiles or countertops 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.