1. MINING RESOURCES

2. MINERAL
A mineral is any substance that is naturally present in Earth’s crust and is not formed from animal or vegetable matter having definite chemical composition and identifiable physical properties.
In other words – is defined as a homogenous substance which has a definite chemical composition and is produced by natural inorganic processes.
Earth’s geological process has formed these minerals over millions of years and hence they are Non-renewable
An ore is a mineral or combination of minerals from which a useful substance such as metal can be extracted and is used to manufacture useful products.

3. USES
DISTRIBUTION About 2000 types are there, only 200 are put to use
Asia –rich in tin, tungston and Mn, but poor in gold and platinum
India –rich in Mn, Fe, chromite, limestone, dolomite, silica and mica; but poor in K reserves

4. Cu, Pb, Zn, tin, gold, silver and Platinum will last till---end of this century
Al, Co, Mn and Mo will last upto A.D
Fe and Cr till A.D

5. Minerals are of two types
Metallic minerals: Iron, Copper, Aluminium, Zinc, Manganese etc.
Non-Metallic minerals: Coal, Salt, clay, Silica, sulphur, asbestos, phosphates etc.
Stones: building materials – limestone, granite, marble etc.
Aesthatic and ornamental - Gems: diamonds, gold, silver, platinum, emeralds, rubies etc.

8. Extraction of ores/minerals – Mining
Mining – Four stages
Prospecting – searching for minerals
Exploration – assessing size, shape, location,
economic value of the deposit
(Geologist, Mining Engineers, Geophysicist, Geochemist)
Development – work of preparing access to the deposit
Exploitation – extracting from mines

9. Stages in life cycle of a mine: - Youth – development stage
TYPES OF MINING
Deep Mining: (deep or shaft mines) Underground mining by inserting shafts/ making tunnels in to crust.
Surface Mining or Open Mining(Open cast or strip mines) : Mining by digging on surface of the earth
Stages in life cycle of a mine:
- Youth – development stage
- Maturity – establishment stage
- Old age – declining ore reserve

10. surface mining < underground mining Metal mining <coal mining
HAZARDS OF MINING
I) Safety of workers
surface mining < underground mining
Metal mining <coal mining
Underground mining hazards:
Physical damages
Long term occupational hazards are:
dust produced – black lung or pneumoconiosis
poisonous gases from incomplete dynamite explosions
methane gases from coal strata
radiation hazards from uranium mines
II) Environmental Problems
Depletion of available land due to mining
Waste from mining and associated industries
Pollution of land, water and air by mining and associated industries
(some advantages-EX: dolomite mine in khammam
limestone mine in tandur)

11. Conservation of minerals
Use of minerals as raw materials should be restricted to essential materials only
More efficient technologies in extraction as well as in their utilization to check wastage
Minerals should be recycled as far as possible
Designing smaller equipment
Proper substitutes should be found
Plastic ware for metal ware?
Silver by other alloys in coins

12. Impact of Mining on Environment:
Main source of environment degradation
– Mining v/s jal, jangal, jameen
Underground Mining- Destabilizing Earth’s Crust; Polluting the Aquifers; Pose hazardous conditions for worker’s health and safety.
Open Mining- Deforestation, Loss of cultivable land, Pollution of land and water due waste generated.
Non renewable resource – problem is of global nature
Mine closure – degraded land – mine drainage
(Relaying the land scientifically to near original form).
Locations – thick forests – ecosystem.

13. Some Case studies:
Sariska tiger reserve – Rajasthan – public interest litigation in 1991 by Rajendra Singh - 70 mines.
Rajasamand Lake – Rajasthan – dried up in 2001-a decade of marble mining in Rajnagar area
Aravalli Hills – Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat – lifeline – repositories – marble, talc and granite – Supreme Court banned – Nov – appeal by State Govt. appeal to revoke – again March 2004 – a typical storey of development, environmental effects, industrial interests, confusion in the Government etc.
Rajasthan alone 9700 units – connected with mining

14. Ok Tedi Island in New Guinea (Indonesia) – 1984 – 1000 cu. m of con
Ok Tedi Island in New Guinea (Indonesia) – 1984 – 1000 cu.m of con. Cyanide – river – ecosystem devasted – lifestyle of native Wopkaimin people – from gold and copper project.
Baia Mare gold mine in Romania – dam holding waste released 80ML – cyanide – Tisza river – flowed 500Km – Hungary and Serbia.
The quantum of Impact!

15. Sustainable Efforts:
Strictly following Safety norms for workers.
Systematic waste management and complete waste decontamination & disposal, use and reuse of scraps.
Effective methods of mining – every possible tonnage
Recovering all associated elements as byproducts
Economic use of minerals
Utilization of unmarketable ores – innovative methods or ore dressing and metallurgical practices.
Substituting the use of rare and costly minerals with those which are abundant & cheaper

17. Open book test on 6th Feb (Friday)
Everyone should get text book
(Quiz on 9th Feb)
In 3rd week of Feb, after sessional –field trip time 3pm