Types of Mining
BY Natalie Fusaro and Airika Gales
Surface
Where soil and rock overlies the mineral deposit.
- Strip Mining - to excavate by open cut methods.
- Open Pit Mining - a type of surface mining where usually metallic minerals are removed.
- Mountain Top Removal - Any method or surface coal mining that destroys a mountain top or ridge line.
Effects on the environment: Increased erosion, habitat destruction, air pollution.
Subsurface
The extraction of minerals from underground.
- Slope - a method of accessing valuable geological material. Ex. coal, ore.
- Drift - cutting and opening horizontally into the side of mountains allowing us to get to a mineral stream.
- Shaft - A method of excavating a vertical or near vertical tunnel from the top down.
Effects on the environment: Can disrupt landscape underground, air pollution, can harm or kill mine workers, strips land of vegetation, soil and rocks, rainfall leaks toxic chemicals into the earth.
Strip Mining/ Open Pit
Mountain Top Removal
Slope Mining
Drift Mining
Shaft Mining
Fracking
A process of putting liquid into rocks at high pressure.
Effects on the environment: Puts chemicals in the ground, water pollution, air pollution near fracking sites from oil and gases, strains water sources from mass amounts being used, destroys streams and landscapes.