Mineral Mining

• Take a ride inside a mine video – • http://youtu.be/Bk-jrbCi7Sc

Warm Up Video

Words to Know

• Ore - a naturally occurring solid material that can be extracted (removed) for profit. Usually metal or other valuable minerals.

• Mine reclamation - the process of restoring land that has been mined to a natural or economically usable purpose.

**This is part of responsible mining. We must always be sure that we are treating the earth with care! Irresponsible mining can harm drinking water and disturb animal and plant habitats.

Surface Mining

• Surface mining is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock over the mineral deposit are removed. It is the opposite of underground mining.

Strip Mining before and after

Open pit mining

Mountain Top Removal

Subsurface Mining

Subsurface mines happen when the minerals are too deep within the earth to create a surface mine. The mines may be drilled horizontally, vertically… or for minerals VERY deep in the group they can use a shaft mine.

Mining Examples