Types of Mining and Fracking
Ian Murphy
Surface
Soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed. There are three types of surface mining strip, open pit, and mountain top removal.
Strip
The practice of mining a seam of mineral, by first removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock. This destroys landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats. This in turn leads to soil erosion and destruction of agricultural land.
Open pit
A technique of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow. Deep pits can effect the flow of groundwater and the water table level .
Mountain top removal
The mining of the summit or summit ridge of a mountain. Removal of head water streams and poisoning many other water sources.
Subsurface
The overlying rocks and soil are left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts and tunnels. The three types are slope, drift, shaft
Slope
A sloping access shaft travels downwards towards desired material. Environmental problems associated with mining include erosion, formation of sinkholes, chemical contamination of surface waters and groundwater, and loss of biodiversity.
Drift
A horizontal passage underground that goes to the minerals. Deforestation and loss of major biodiversity are effects of drift mining.
Shaft
The method of excavating a vertical or near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Destruction of the environment loss of soil.
Fracking
The process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside. Fracking contaminating the groundwater, puts methane pollution and impacts climate change and air pollution, and has exposure to toxic chemicals.