limestone quarry
A site where sedimentary calcium rock is extracted from the earth in large blocks or sheets.
A limestone quarry is a place where large blocks of naturally occurring sedimentary calcite or aragonite rock are cut from the earth, mainly for use in construction. Limestone is a common material for facades, sculptures, and ornamental paving. It is a durable and heavy rock, and is fairly expensive compared to lighter construction materials, but is valued for its aesthetic properties compared to synthetic and industrial materials.
The quarry cuts limestone in large blocks for uses such as facades, sculpture, and paving. The category retains that building-stone extraction form.
The carbonate rock is sedimentary, unlike the recrystallized metamorphic rock extracted in a marble quarry. Later cutting or installation of delivered limestone is separate from quarrying it.
limestone quarry Photos
Related definitions
-
chalk quarry
A site extracting chalk, a soft white calcite material, from an open pit or an underground mine. -
cinder quarry
A site extracting naturally occurring volcanic cinders in bulk for uses such as surfacing, mulch, or material mixtures. -
clay quarry
A site deliberately extracting fine-grained clay deposits for further use, excluding incidental excavation. -
granite quarry
A site extracting naturally occurring granite from the earth on a large scale, usually as blocks or slabs. -
gravel quarry
A site extracting gravel from the ground in bulk, generally with particles 2 to 64 millimeters across. -
gypsum quarry
A site extracting naturally occurring gypsum, calcium sulfate dihydrate, from the earth in bulk. -
marble quarry
A site where metamorphic carbonate rock is extracted from the earth in large blocks or sheets. -
sand quarry
A site where loose sand is extracted from the ground or a seabed in large quantities. -
sandstone quarry
A site where sedimentary rock of compacted sand is extracted from the earth in large blocks. -
slate quarry
A site where rock from metamorphized clay is extracted from the earth in large blocks or sheets.