GCSE Geography | Quarrying, extraction of rocks from Earth's surface

Geography Quiz - Quarrying (Questions)

Quarrying digs rocks and minerals from the ground. This GCSE Geography quiz explores why we quarry, where it happens, and the impacts on people and the environment.

Explore the Topic →

(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

Common materials quarried in the UK include limestone, sandstone, granite, and gravel, which are used for cement, building stone, and road surfaces.

In GCSE Geography, you study how quarrying supplies important raw materials for construction and industry. You also examine where quarries are located, why sites are chosen, and how impacts on landscapes and communities are managed.

Key Terms

Quarry: An open pit where rock, sand, or gravel is dug from the ground for use in construction and industry.
Aggregate: Crushed rock, sand, or gravel used in concrete, road building, and other construction projects.
Restoration: The process of returning a worked-out quarry to a new use, such as woodland, farmland, lakes, or nature reserves.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is quarrying in GCSE Geography?

Quarrying is the process of digging rock, sand, or gravel from the Earth’s surface in an open pit. In GCSE Geography, it is studied as a way humans extract resources from the landscape.

What are the main environmental impacts of quarrying?

Quarrying can cause noise, dust, visual pollution, habitat loss, and heavy lorry traffic. It may also change drainage patterns and leave scars on the landscape if not carefully managed and restored.

How can quarrying be made more sustainable?

Quarrying can be more sustainable by reducing waste, controlling noise and dust, planning transport routes, restoring sites after use, and consulting local communities about impacts and future land uses.

Try These Related Quizzes

Which of the following is not obtained by quarrying?

[ ]	Iron ore
[ ]	Rocks for making cement
[ ]	Trees for making wooden beams for building
[ ]	Sand

Where are quarries usually situated?

[ ]	In the CBD of a city
[ ]	On the edge of a city
[ ]	In the countryside
[ ]	At the seaside

Which of the following could be destroyed when a quarry is opened?

[ ]	Farmland
[ ]	Wildlife habitat
[ ]	Housing
[ ]	All of the above

Quarried material is obtained by blasting. True or false?

[ ]	Yes, it's true, all quarrying involves blasting
[ ]	No, it's false, quarrying never involves the use of explosives
[ ]	Yes, it's often but not always true, in a lot of quarries, blasting is used
[ ]	It is impossible to know whether it is true or false

Which statement about quarrying is correct?

[ ]	Working quarries contribute to the local economy
[ ]	Working quarries are a good tourist attraction for a rural area
[ ]	Working quarries attract wildlife to an era
[ ]	Quarries have an unlimited life

How are materials usually transported from UK quarries?

[ ]	By rail
[ ]	By bus
[ ]	In sacks loaded on pick-up trucks
[ ]	In lorries

How can stone quarries create air pollution?

[ ]	Blasting
[ ]	Loading lorries
[ ]	Exhaust fumes
[ ]	All of the above

How do stone quarries reduce air pollution?

[ ]	Use traditional ways of extracting rocks instead of using explosives
[ ]	Spray water over the material being loaded
[ ]	Cover the whole quarry with a roof
[ ]	Filter the air leaving the quarry

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of quarrying?

[ ]	Rural areas benefit from better access
[ ]	Removes agricultural land
[ ]	Noise disturbs wildlife
[ ]	More local heavy traffic

10.

What is quarry restoration?

[ ]	Providing meals for the quarry workers
[ ]	Storing waste material within the quarry
[ ]	Improving the quarry environment
[ ]	Enlarging the size of the quarry

Geography Quiz - Quarrying (Answers)

Which of the following is not obtained by quarrying?

[ ]	Iron ore
[ ]	Rocks for making cement
[x]	Trees for making wooden beams for building
[ ]	Sand

A nice easy question for you to illustrate some of the different types of materials that are quarried. It's not just rocks!

Where are quarries usually situated?

[ ]	In the CBD of a city
[ ]	On the edge of a city
[x]	In the countryside
[ ]	At the seaside

Whilst there are some quarries in or on the edge of urban areas and by the sea, the majority are sited in rural areas

Which of the following could be destroyed when a quarry is opened?

[ ]	Farmland
[ ]	Wildlife habitat
[ ]	Housing
[x]	All of the above

There is a large demand for quarried materials

Quarried material is obtained by blasting. True or false?

[ ]	Yes, it's true, all quarrying involves blasting
[ ]	No, it's false, quarrying never involves the use of explosives
[x]	Yes, it's often but not always true, in a lot of quarries, blasting is used
[ ]	It is impossible to know whether it is true or false

Sand and gravel quarries do not usually require the use of explosives but most other types of quarry do

Which statement about quarrying is correct?

[x]	Working quarries contribute to the local economy
[ ]	Working quarries are a good tourist attraction for a rural area
[ ]	Working quarries attract wildlife to an era
[ ]	Quarries have an unlimited life

A quarry can provide local people with much needed employment

How are materials usually transported from UK quarries?

[ ]	By rail
[ ]	By bus
[ ]	In sacks loaded on pick-up trucks
[x]	In lorries

Only a few quarries, for example, Tunstead quarry near Buxton in Derbyshire, are close enough to the railway network to use rail as their main form of transport

How can stone quarries create air pollution?

[ ]	Blasting
[ ]	Loading lorries
[ ]	Exhaust fumes
[x]	All of the above

Air pollution from quarries is in the form of dust and fumes from the machinery that is used to move, crush, load and cut the rock

How do stone quarries reduce air pollution?

[ ]	Use traditional ways of extracting rocks instead of using explosives
[x]	Spray water over the material being loaded
[ ]	Cover the whole quarry with a roof
[ ]	Filter the air leaving the quarry

They also wash the lorries before they leave the quarry and cover them to stop dust being blown off as they drive along