FOSSIL FUELS AND MINING PART 2 CANADA’S NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

AGENDA Non-Renewable Resources in Canada Fossil Fuels in Canada Mining in Canada The Future of Non-Renewable Resources

3. MINING IN CANADA

3. MINING IN CANADA Canada ranks second in the world (Australia is first) in exporting metallic and non-metallic minerals. The government in Canada supports mining industry with funding, resources, and lower taxes. Mining is the locating and collecting (digging up) of ore that contains metallic or non-metallic minerals.

3. MINING IN CANADA Ore is rock that contains enough of a mineral to make it worth mining – finding it is the hard part! Minerals worth mining are called mineral reserves. Like fossil fuels, they are measured using the R/P ratio. SILVER ORE IRON ORE

METALLIC MINERALS Ore with metallic minerals contains metal. (For example: iron, gold, copper, lead, nickel, etc.) When the ore is melted, the metal is separated from rock. Metals are usually in igneous and metamorphic rock. LEAD ORE GOLD ORE

NON-METALLIC MINERALS Ore with non-metallic minerals contains minerals like potash, gravel, diamonds, salt, limestone, etc. Unlike metals, this ore is not melted. Non-metallic minerals are most commonly found in sedimentary rock. Potash is one of Canada’s largest mineral exports.

TYPES OF MINING: SURFACE

SURFACE MINING: STRIP MINE Strip Mining is a form of surface mining and the least expensive type of mining. Only good for minerals very close to the surface such as sand, gravel, coal, and oil sands. It is the safest form of mining overall.

SURFACE MINING: STRIP MINE Trees, earth, and rocks are removed and blasting (with explosives) breaks up ore. The ore is loaded onto trucks or conveyors and brought to a refinery for more processing. Strip mining causes the most damage to the environment as large areas are “stripped away”.

SURFACE MINING: STRIP MINE Video of a Canadian coal strip mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euhbkoFik_8 The video explained: “A belt line is used to carry coal from the mine. A excavator pushes material down to a loader. The loader dumps material into a crusher that breaks the rock down small enough to be sent up a series of conveyor belts and a long line to the stockpile.” Coal Ore after extraction:

SURFACE MINING: STRIP MINE The world’s largest bucket-wheel excavator (made by Krupp in Germany). See it in action here!

SURFACE MINING: OPEN-PIT Open-Pit Mining is another type of surface mining. It is used when large mineral deposits are close to the surface, even though these mines can be very deep. Bringham Canyon Mine in Utah is the largest open pit copper mine in the world and is deeper than twice the height of the CN tower!

SURFACE MINING: OPEN-PIT Open pit mines are often used to collect ore for iron, aluminum, copper, nickel, and many other metals. Video about Open-Pit Mining by Vale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcTEcK_ZIws

SURFACE MINING: OPEN-PIT Copper Ore Iron Ore Manganese Ore Nickel Ore (Sulfide) (Laterite) (Laterite) (Sulfide) More about Vale Canada, one of the world’s largest mining companies with $8.3b in annual revenues: http://www.vale.com/canada/EN/Pages/default.aspx

TYPES OF MINING: UNDERGROUND

TYPES OF MINING: UNDERGROUND Underground mining is used to extract mineral ores located deep underground. This is the “traditional” type of mine, but is much less common for safety reasons. Underground mines are used for metals such as: gold, silver, iron, copper, zinc, nickel… and sometimes even for gemstones!

TYPES OF MINING: UNDERGROUND Shafts with elevators are dug into the ground. Horizontal stopes (tunnels) connect to the elevator shafts and are where the digging takes place. Explosives and machinery are used to break up ore. As digging continues, the rock is crushed and brought to the surface for processing.

TYPES OF MINING: UNDERGROUND

TYPES OF MINING: UNDERGROUND

TYPES OF MINING: UNDERGROUND This is by far the most dangerous type of mining! Dangers include: Gasses can build up and suffocate or explode. Dust and noise can be overwhelming. Mine shafts can collapse! Though it causes less environmental damage, underground mining still hurts vegetation and can impact groundwater.

TYPES OF MINING: UNDERGROUND Video about Underground Mining by Vale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1PUgQSQ5LY Watch underground mining in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XkioFHJgDA

4. ISSUES FACING THE MINING INDUSTRY Canada is facing many issues can cause trouble for our mining industry, including: Impact on the Environment Abandoned Mines Loss of Jobs Echo Effect Exhausting the Supply Staying Competitive Boom/Bust Towns

Mining across Canada by mineral-type.

Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. Related reading: p. 154-157 Questions: 1-3 on p. 160