Mining Techniques

Minerals and metals are located in rock, below the surface of

the Earth. These valuable natural resources must be extracted
through mining. It is not an easy process to locate, extract, and
then refine these resources, but many of the everyday items
we rely on are created using minerals and metals.

Scientists locate mineral and metal deposits, called ore

deposits, using two different methods.
Method 1: Scientists examine rocks located at the Earth’s
surface for specific characteristics. If the surface rock looks
promising, then scientists will set up a small sample hole to see
if the rock site is a good location to build a mine on. The site
must be rich in minerals or metals for a company to carry the
cost of building a mine.
Method 2: Another tool for locating ore deposits is the fly over
method. Scientists use aircraft to fly over large areas and
check for magnetic activity.

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 Mining Techniques
Before a mine can be created an environmental assessment
must be completed. This assessment determines the impact
the mine will have on the surrounding water, people, land, and
animals.

Open Pit Mine

When the ore deposits are located close to the surface of
the Earth, then an open pit mine is created. A giant hole is dug
into the ground, removing any materials that cover the natural
resource, i.e. trees, soil, rivers, mountains, and animal habitats.
When these mines have been exhausted, and no new mineral
deposits are located, it is time to reclaim the land. Mining
companies are required by law in various countries, to restore
the land as much as possible, to its natural state. Holes are
filled in and vegetation is planted on the site to help encourage
wildlife to inhabit these newly created spaces. Some of these
reclaimed lands are made into recreational areas for people to
enjoy nature.
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 Mining Techniques

This photo shows an old underground Copper mine in the U.S.A.

If mineral deposits are found well below the surface of the

Earth, then an underground mine must be constructed.

The mining company constructs a long vertical mine shaft far

into the ground. Then they create horizontal tunnels off the
main shaft. A special elevator is used to transport materials
up and down the mine shaft.

The materials in these tunnels are blasted out from the rock
using explosive devices and picked up with a machine. The rock
materials are then loaded into carts and sent up the elevator
to be processed aboveground.

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 Smelting iron in a steel mill.
Processing Mining Materials
When materials are extracted through mining they must be
sent for processing. This process of beneficiation is when
minerals and waste rock are separated. Some minerals and
metals are separated using a melting technique in a smelter,
whereas others are separated using a chemical reaction.
Beneficiation is usually done as close to the mine site as
possible in order to reduce the cost of transporting the heavy
rock.
Mining Waste
Mineral extraction produces a lot of waste material because
only a small amount of mineral and metal deposits are found
in each rock. Leftover mining materials are called tailings. To
dispose of mine waste the tailings are either put into closed
areas of open pit mines or new waste pile sites are created.
These tailings may contain toxic materials. If these materials
not disposed of properly, waste can leach into the nearby
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