Land use #4 Mining Flashcards
Ore
commercially valuable deposits
ex. mercury, zinc, tin
Types of Mining
Surface & Subsurface
Types of Mining
Surface Mining
extraction above the surface of the Earth
ex. Bingham Canyon Copper Mine Utah
Hobet Mine
West Virginia
Surface mining
Effects of Surface Mining
Topsoil erosion
Habitat loss
Increase PM in air
Increased stream turb.
Removal of vegatation & soil
Surface Mining
Placer mining
mining of stream bed deposits (exposed sediments)by surface excavation
Surface Mining
Mountaintop removal
removing land and overburden from the top of a mountain range usually by explosives
Hobet Mine
West Virginia
Surface Mining
Open-pit
used for coal, metal, or mineral extraction by creating levels in an open hole
ex. Bingham Canyon Copper Mine Utah
Surface Mining
Strip Mining
moving the overburden & exposing the earth’s crust to remove resources in strips
Types of Mining
Subsurface
- extraction below the surface of the Earth
- Tunnel systems created more than 100 m underground
More expensive because its unsafe for people
Subsurface
Coal Dust
fine powdered form of coal that contains heavy toxic metals (Pb, Hg, Ar, Sr)
Coal workers are very likly to get this
Post-extraction
Step 1
ore is crushed
Post-extraction
Step 2
minerals are extracted through processes like Froth Flotation
Post-extraction
Step 3
What is Tailing?
liquid waste material that sinks to the bottom (Tailings)
Tailing- liquid waste that goes in tailing ponds
Post-extraction
Step 4
smelting uses densities or boiling points of metals to separate the minerals wanted
Post-extraction
Step 5
leftover materials (Slag) are disposed
