MiningMining

Questions relating to Canada’s Mineral Wealth Lecture:

• What kinds of rock minerals/metals do we find here in Canada?•Where are these rocks found in Canada & why in those locations?•How valuable is mining to Canada’s economy?

MiningMiningDo you have some Canadian mining products with you today? • Check your pocket for coins• Are you wearing any nylon or fleece?• Do those clothes contain zippers?

MiningMining

Mining is the process of extracting minerals from rocks

MiningMining

Minerals are divided into 3 categories in Canada

1. Metallic yielding metals

2. Fossil fuels release energy when burned

3. Industrial minerals (also known as non-metallic minerals) useful materials made from rock

Metallic Metallic MineralsMinerals

Fossil FuelsFossil Fuels

Industrial Industrial Minerals Minerals

(non-metalic (non-metalic minerals)minerals)                                                   

Minerals Mined in Canada by Type Metallic Mineral Fossil Fuels Industrial/ non-metalliccobalt coal asbestoscopper natural gas building stonegold oil clay productsiron oil sands diamondslead gravelnickel gypsumplatinum potashsilver salturanium sandzinc soapstone

Where do we mine in CanadaWhere do we mine in Canada (Location)(Location)

Examine figure 26-5 on page 330 in your textbook. Choose the 3 most important provinces for each of the following:

Metallic minerals

Fossil Fuels

Industrial minerals

1. Western Cordillera2. Appalachians3. Canadian Shield

1. Interior Plains2. Great-Lakes3. Hudson bay

lowlands4. Appalacians

1. All landform regions

Geological map of Canada

How Important is Mining to How Important is Mining to Canada’s Economy?Canada’s Economy?

Value of Minerals Produced in Canada in 2008

Metals - $ 66 657 413 (or $66 billion dollars)Non-metals - $ 18 724 515 (or $18 billion dollars)Fuels - $217 701 259 ( or $217 billion dollars)Total of all three = $455 billion dollars !

Most valuable minerals produced : gold,uranium (2nd in world) and nickel (metallic) Potash (1st in world), diamonds & gravel (non-metallic) Oil and coal (fuel)

How Important is Mining to How Important is Mining to Canada’s Economy?Canada’s Economy?

Canada’s international mining trade, accounting for 19.2 percent of Canada’s domestic exports in 2009.Toronto is generally viewed as the mining finance capital of the world (Toronto’s Stock Exchange has lots of mining companies on their market index).

How Important is Mining to How Important is Mining to Canada’s Economy?Canada’s Economy?

Canada continues to be the world’s leader in the production (by volume) of potash, and it ranks in the top five countries for the production of aluminium, cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, platinum group metals, salt, titanium concentrate, uranium and zinc. Canada ranks second in the world in value of diamond production

How Valuable is Mining to CanadaHow Valuable is Mining to Canada??

What is this missing?

Fossil Fuels

Number of Canadians working:Number of Canadians working:

Number of Canadians Number of Canadians working:working:

•307 000 people directly employed in mining and mineral processing– accounted for 2.1 percent of Canada’s total employment

•2009 average weekly earnings of people working directly in the mines & processing is $1,056. Weekly earnings in the Canadian economy averaged $823.

Steps to Mining in Canada

Before we start to mineBefore we start to mine Step One: High-tech prospecting Step One: High-tech prospecting

Before we start to mineBefore we start to mine Step One: High-tech prospecting Step One: High-tech prospecting Map produced after doing an airborne geo-magnetic survey

Before we start to mineBefore we start to mine Step Two: Sampling, Drilling & Step Two: Sampling, Drilling & AssayingAssaying

Step 3 How Do We MineStep 3 How Do We Mine? ? Pg 334Pg 334

Strip Mining

• mine oil sand (bitumen), coal and other minerals located in the top layers near the surface

Open Pit Mining

• mine minerals found near surface of earth, but also may extend deep into the ground•Gravel, rock, diamonds, metallic minerals

Underground Mining• extract mineral ores vanes within earth•Nickel in Sudbury, coal in N.S., Gold in Timmins

How Do We MineHow Do We Mine??

Mining Machines video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA64vYy9ZK0

Issues faced by Canada’s Mining Issues faced by Canada’s Mining IndustryIndustry

: Read “Challenges for Canada’s Mining Industry”(pg 338-339) and determine the challenges the mining industry faces in Canada and group them into the 2 columns below.

Natural EnvironmentNatural Environment Human EnvironmentHuman Environment-Acid Rain (Precipitation) : caused by……..

Implications of MiningImplications of Mining: Read “Challenges for Canada’s Mining Industry”(pg 338-339) and determine the challenges the mining industry faces in Canada and group them into the 2 columns below.

Natural EnvironmentNatural Environment Human EnvironmentHuman Environment

-Environmental controls -destroy habitats, clear cutting, animal extinction

-develop new technologies to improve efficiency-by products of mining unclean

-harmful to environment-global warming

-new and improved uses of minerals-more uses = more reasons to mine?

-Land claims of First Nations-who owns the land = who profits?

-Increase processing and manufacturing of minerals in Canada

-”boom and bust” nature of mining-what happens to mining towns when mind closes?

To prepare for tomorrow’s class, please read the following case study, to familiarize yourself with the issue beforehand:

Page 342-347Do: Questions sheet called ‘ Ekati Mine Reflection’