1. Minerals and Mining

2. Minerals Concentration of naturally occurring elements in/on Earth.
Formed over millions of yrs  non-renewable resource.

3. Sodium Chloride Crystal
What We Mine?!?
Metallic minerals: Iron, Copper, Aluminum
Non-metallic minerals: salt, clay, sand
Energy minerals: coal, oil, uranium
Crushed Iron
Sodium Chloride Crystal
“Dur”rty Coal

5. Ore Rock that has metallic mineral. Usable stuff is the mineral
Gold
Rock that has metallic mineral.
Usable stuff is the mineral
Non-usable is called gangue  landfill
Gangue

6. Smelters
Used to remove mineral from gangue in an ore  major polluters (Runescape!).

7. Bauxite Most Important Aluminum Ore

8. Oxygen: The Most Abundant Element in the Earth’s Crust

9. Finding Mineral Deposits
Use aerial photos and satellite images to see rock formations.

10. Finding Mineral Deposits
Use planes w/ Geiger meter (uranium) or magnetometer (iron)
Geiger Meter…Only $460!
Magnetometer… Only $700!

11. Finding Mineral Deposits
Drilling a deep well and extracting ore samples.
Exploration Drilling

12. Surface Mining Minerals must be shallowly deposited.
Removed rock and soil is called overburden or spoil.

13. Types of Surface Mining
Open Pit Mining
Dig hole and remove ores
Fe, Cu, and Sand

16. Types of Surface Mining
Dredging (Sand)
Draglines scrape up underwater mineral deposits

18. Types of Surface Mining
Area Strip Mining
Cut new strips away; spoil placed on side, mineral taken out.

19. Types of Surface Mining
Mountaintop Removal
Use TNT, huge shovels, and large machines to remove top of a mtn and expose coal underneath.

21. Case Study Gold: Cyanide Heap Leaching
Cyanide sprayed on low grade gold ore in a giant heap (pile).
Gold flows down w/ cyanide and is collected at bottom of heap.
Heap

22. Case Study Gold: Cyanide Heap Leaching
Toxic to birds and mammals.
Leach ponds can overflow  H2O pollution
Leaky liners?
Leach Liner

23. Used to remove minerals deep in Earth’s surface.
Subsurface Mining
Used to remove minerals deep in Earth’s surface.
Less env. Impact

24. Types of Subsurface Mining
Room and Pillar
Machines are used to cut out minerals and are placed on a shuttle car.
Scraper

25. Types of Subsurface Mining
Longwall Coal Mining
Moveable steel props support cave while machinery cut off coal onto a conveyor belt.

26. Environmental Damage
Collapse/subsidence of land from subsurface mines.
Causes houses to tilt, sewer lines crack, gas mains break.

27. Environmental Damage
Wind/water carry away [by erosion] toxic mining waste.
Goes in food webs and watersheds.

29. Environmental Damage
Habitat Loss!!

30. My Home!!!

31. Transportation of minerals  global warming, lung probs.
Environmental Damage
Transportation of minerals  global warming, lung probs.

33. Bacteria eat FeS in spoil  create H2SO4  runs off into streams
Environmental Damage
Acid mine drainage
Bacteria eat FeS in spoil  create H2SO4  runs off into streams

34. Surface Mining Reclamation and Control Act
Mining ops must reclaim area after land has been used and abused.
Must put aside $$$ to reclaim before mining op’s begin.
States oversee Act.
Land put back, trees grow, no toxic runoff!