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Minerals and Mining
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Minerals Concentration of naturally occurring elements in/on Earth.
Formed over millions of yrs non-renewable resource.
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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
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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
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Smelters Used to remove mineral from gangue in an ore major polluters (Runescape!).
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Bauxite Most Important Aluminum Ore
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Oxygen: The Most Abundant Element in the Earth’s Crust
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Finding Mineral Deposits
Use aerial photos and satellite images to see rock formations.
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Finding Mineral Deposits
Use planes w/ Geiger meter (uranium) or magnetometer (iron) Geiger Meter…Only $460! Magnetometer… Only $700!
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Finding Mineral Deposits
Drilling a deep well and extracting ore samples. Exploration Drilling
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Surface Mining Minerals must be shallowly deposited.
Removed rock and soil is called overburden or spoil.
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Types of Surface Mining
Open Pit Mining Dig hole and remove ores Fe, Cu, and Sand
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Types of Surface Mining
Dredging (Sand) Draglines scrape up underwater mineral deposits
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Types of Surface Mining
Area Strip Mining Cut new strips away; spoil placed on side, mineral taken out.
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Types of Surface Mining
Mountaintop Removal Use TNT, huge shovels, and large machines to remove top of a mtn and expose coal underneath.
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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
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Case Study Gold: Cyanide Heap Leaching
Toxic to birds and mammals. Leach ponds can overflow H2O pollution Leaky liners? Leach Liner
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Used to remove minerals deep in Earth’s surface.
Subsurface Mining Used to remove minerals deep in Earth’s surface. Less env. Impact
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Types of Subsurface Mining
Room and Pillar Machines are used to cut out minerals and are placed on a shuttle car. Scraper
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Types of Subsurface Mining
Longwall Coal Mining Moveable steel props support cave while machinery cut off coal onto a conveyor belt.
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Environmental Damage Collapse/subsidence of land from subsurface mines. Causes houses to tilt, sewer lines crack, gas mains break.
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Environmental Damage Wind/water carry away [by erosion] toxic mining waste. Goes in food webs and watersheds.
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Environmental Damage Habitat Loss!!
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My Home!!!
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Transportation of minerals global warming, lung probs.
Environmental Damage Transportation of minerals global warming, lung probs.
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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
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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!
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