1. Earth Materials
Mining
Mining Process

2. Any resource that can be replaced in nature at a reasonable rate.
Renewable resources:
Any resource that can be replaced in nature at a reasonable rate.
Examples: Oxygen in air, trees in forest, food grown in soil, and solar energy from sun
Nonrenewable resources:
Any resource that exists in fixed amount (not replaced) or is used faster than it can be replaced.
Examples: oil, natural gas, coal, gold, silver, copper, sand, gravel, limestone, sulphur
Brainstorm all the materials that can be mined. As you explain notes, categorize materials with different colors on white board.
Mining Process

3. The valuable minerals being removed from ore. Mineral reserves:
Any rock that contains enough of an element to make separation profitable.
Ore mineral:
The valuable minerals being removed from ore.
Mineral reserves:
Reserves are resources that have been found and can be extracted at a profit using current technology.
Brainstorm all the materials that can be mined. As you explain notes, categorize materials with different colors on white board.
Mining Process

4. Metals extracted from mineral ores are used in a variety of ways
Metals extracted from mineral ores are used in a variety of ways. Some examples include:
Iron is essential in steel production. Steel is used to make large structures such as skyscrapers, bridges, tunnels, ships, planes and trains.
Copper is used in electrical wiring and in making brass.
Zinc is combined with copper to make brass.
Aluminum is used for cans and cookware.
Lead is used in storage batteries and the shielding around radioactive materials.
Brainstorm all the materials that can be mined. As you explain notes, categorize materials with different colors on white board.
Mining Process

5. Mining is the process of extracting valuable materials from the Earth.
These valuable materials fall into 4 categories:
Precious Metals: Metals with a high market price (example: gold, silver, platinum)
Base Metals: Metals that are less expensive than precious metals and have a variety of uses (example: copper, lead, zinc, aluminum)
Fossil Fuels: High energy chemicals formed from once living plants or animals (example: coal, oil, natural gas)
Non-Metals: (example: limestone, sulphur, salt, diamond, gravel, graphite)
Brainstorm all the materials that can be mined. As you explain notes, categorize materials with different colors on white board.
Mining Process

6. Metals are not usually found in their “pure” state
Metals are not usually found in their “pure” state. Instead, they are found within ore minerals.
For example, copper is found in the mineral chalcopyrite (CuFeS2)
Mining Process

7. A large gold deposit (50 million tons) has recently been discovered in South America. It has a grade of 2g/ton. The price of gold is approximately $40 million per ton. Knowing that it will cost over $2 billion to extract, concentrate, and refine the gold, would you invest in this mine?
Mining Process

8. To transform an ore mineral into a pure metal, the following steps occur:
Exploration and extracting: Finding high quality ore
and getting ore out of the ground by drilling and blasting
Crushing and milling: Getting mineral out of ore
Concentrating: separating the ore mineral from the waste rock
Smelting: chemically separating the metal from the rest of the mineral
Refining: purifying the metal ( by removing impurities)
Distribution: Distributing the mined metals/materials to where they are needed
Pure Metal Ore Mineral
Mining Process

9. Ore is extracted from the ground in two ways:
Surface Mining (Open-Pit Mines)-used to remove minerals that are near the earth's surface
Underground or subsurface mining-used to remove minerals that are found very deep below Earth's surface
Using articles with varying reading levels, complete Venn diagram on surface and sub-surface mining to identify similarities and differences.
Mining Process

10. Ask: On which continent does the map show no major mineral deposits
Ask: On which continent does the map show no major mineral deposits? Can you conclude that there are no valuable minerals in Antarctica? How does this distribution affect the economies of different nations? Is the lack of mineral reserves an indicator of a poor economy?
Rocks & Minerals

11. Ore is extracted from the ground in two ways:
Surface Mining (Open-Pit Mines)
Underground or subsurface mining
Using articles with varying reading levels, complete Venn diagram on surface and sub-surface mining to identify similarities and differences.
Mining Process

12. Ore is extracted from the ground in two ways:
2. Sub Surface Mining (Underground Mines)
Using articles with varying reading levels, complete Venn diagram on surface and sub-surface mining to identify similarities and differences.
Mining Process

13. Using articles with varying reading levels, complete Venn diagram on surface and sub-surface mining to identify similarities and differences.
Mining Process

14. One method of concentrating the ore is through froth floatation
Once the rock material is removed from the mine, the ore is separated from the waste rock through density separation
This is usually done on the mine site so that money, time and energy does not go into transporting waste material
At the milling stage, ore is crushed into a fine powder so that is can be concentrated
One method of concentrating the ore is through froth floatation
Mining Process

15. In froth floatation, chemicals cause ore particles to attach to air bubbles
The air bubbles rise, carrying the ore mineral to the surface, leaving the waste rock at the bottom
Mining Process

16. After the concentrating process, only the ore mineral remains
Since most ore minerals are metal sulphides, sulphur must be removed from the metal
This is completed in the smelting stage, wherein ore minerals are heated to very high temperatures
To further purify the metal, electricity is used in the refining stage
Lab Activity on mining process. Use activities from practicum but condense into one large lab session.
Mining Process

17. There are environmental concerns with mining:
Erosion, deforestation and acid mine drainage can be a problem during extraction.
1. Erosion
The movement of soil and rock due to wind and water . Erosion may cause significant loading of sediments or chemical pollutants to nearby
water bodies and contaminate the existing soil.
Mining Process

18. 2. Deforestation
The clearing of trees and forest for non-forest use that affects wildlife, birds, insects
Mining Process

19. Before mining
Image courtesy of Ensham Resources

20. After mining
Image courtesy of Ensham Resources

21. 3. Acid Mine Drainage
When sulphide minerals react with oxygen and water, sulphuric acid forms. Sulphuric acid pollutes water and harms aquatic animals
Mining Process

22. 4. During smelting, sulphur reacts with oxygen in the air to create sulphur dioxide gas
PbS +O2 Pb + SO2
If released into the atmosphere, sulphur dioxide will combine with water to produce acid rain
Mining Process

23. Once a mine has been exhausted of all its resources, the area is reclaimed
Mine Reclamation: transforming mined land into useful landscapes in order to restore the ecosystem
Waste piles are flattened to reduce erosion
Vegetation is planted to reduce erosion
Sulphides are covered in clay so they are not exposed to water or oxygen
Open pits are surrounded by fences
Tailings ponds are left to evaporate and then are covered with other rocks
Introduce Townsville Mine Project. Have students brainstorm one “character” for the town and put onto a cue card. List name, occupation, interests and concerns. Cards will be handed out to students on the day of the presentation. Students will ask questions at the end of the proposal as their specific character.