gypsum quarry
A site extracting naturally occurring gypsum, calcium sulfate dihydrate, from the earth in bulk.
A gypsum quarry is a place where naturally occurring soft crystalline calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO₄·2H₂O) is extracted from the earth in large quantities. Gypsum is the main component of drywall (one of the most common forms of interior wall materials), and is often used as a component of plaster.
The mineral is recovered from a natural deposit in large quantities. Its use in drywall and plaster does not make a factory producing those materials a quarry unless extraction also occurs there.
Gypsum is identified by its hydrated calcium-sulfate composition. Other soft white minerals, such as the calcium carbonate of chalk, belong to different extraction categories.
Related definitions
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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. -
limestone quarry
A site where sedimentary calcium rock is extracted from the earth in large blocks or sheets. -
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.