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Minerals and Mining

Minerals and Mining. Minerals. Concentration of naturally occurring elements in/on Earth. Formed over millions of yrs  non-renewable resource. What We Mine?!?. Metallic minerals: Iron, Copper, Aluminum Non-metallic minerals: salt, clay, sand Energy minerals: coal, oil, uranium.

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Minerals and Mining

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  1. Minerals and Mining

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

  3. 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

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

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

  6. BauxiteMost Important Aluminum Ore

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  16. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  23. Environmental Damage Habitat Loss!!

  24. My Home!!!

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

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

  27. 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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