Leaving Certificate Physical Geography HL 2010 Q 2 (c) Q: Humans interact with the rock cycle in many ways. Discuss this with reference to any one human interaction you have studied. Quarrying is how humans interact with the rock cycle. This involves extracting rocks from the land and preparing them for various uses in the construction industry. Rocks can be extracted by several methods. One of these methods is the “plug and feather” method. Here, holes are drilled and wedges and steel rods are used to split the rocks into slabs. This method is used for extracting rocks such as granite, marble and slate. This requires a skilled workforce as these rocks are used for kitchen worktops and headstones and so mustn’t be broken. Another method is the explosive method. The rock is blasted by explosives such as dynamite into piles of blasted rock. The fertilizer “lime” is made from powdered or blasted limestone. This nourishes the grass of farms because of its high calcium content which makes the grass grow thick and nutritious for livestock such as dairy cows. Concrete blocks can also be made by pouring and setting the rock into moulds. The third method is by using large machinery. This is where large slices of rock are cut using a big rotating disk. Then, its cut into various shapes and sizes. Today, Ireland has over two hundred working quarries and pits. An example is the “Roadstone Quarry” in County Clare. An international example is the “Carrara” quarries in Italy. This italian quarry is world renowned for it’s beautiful and rare white marble rock. Carrara’s marble is internationally famous. Sculptors Mr Leonardo de Vinci and Michealangelo used it’s white marble in their works. Marble quarries are common in the town of Carrara, making it a global centre for marble production and export. Marble is used in the building and construction industry in warm countries, such as Italy. It creates a cool interior because the rock is slow to heat up. As a result, it is used for flooring in public buildings. Marble can also be processed or smoothened and polished at quarries throughout Italy so it can be used in domestic houses. In conclusion, I have studied the process of quarrying as my human interaction with the rock cycle for this answer. Labelled diagram: .