Types of Mining and Fracking
Jina Song
Surface and Subsurface mining
Subsurface mining is used when mineral ores are located thousands of feet under the Earth's surface. It is more expensive and more difficult to extract ores through this method. Before mining, many safety procedures must be completed, such as creating tunnels and ventilation shafts. Explosives and drilling is used for this method. Subsurface mining are less environmentally hazardous than surface mining. However, this method may create land collapse, and hazardous materials may dissolve into underground water.
Strip mining
Strip mining leaves a permanent scar on the landscape, wildlife habitats because it is highly destructive. It destroys trees, plants, and topsoil, as well as creating noise and dust pollution and chemical contamination.
Open-pit mining
Another method is called open-pit mining. This is used when an ore bed covers a large area in depth and width. First the overburden is removed using machines like scrapers, and explosives are used to blast the bed. Fragments are hauled away, and workers dig and expand on the bed, creating a bowl-like shape.
Open-pit mining also harms the environment in many ways because rocks create metallic dust and radioactive elements when crushed.
Mountain top removal
Fracking
First, water is mixed with sand and chemicals to create fracturing fluid. It is then pressure injected underground through a pipe. The high pressure leads to the rocks cracking and releasing natural gas.
Unfortunately, fracking creates pollution and contamination as toxic materials mix with groundwater.