Welcome to
Earth Science!
“Sometimes, you
have to broken in
order to be a blessing.”
Lesson Objectives:
• Explain the process of mining and mineral
processing;
• Differentiate the two methods of mining;
and,
• Recognize the advantages and
disadvantages of mining in the Philippines.
Definition of Mining
Mining is the process of mineral extraction from a rock
seam or ore – a natural rock or sediment containing one or more
valuable mineral.
The minerals can range from precious metals and iron to
gemstones and quartz. Modern mining technology uses
geophysical techniques that involve measuring the magnetic,
gravity and sonic responses of rocks above and around a
prospective mineral ore body.
•
•
Coal
Salt What do we mine?
• Sulfur
• Granite
• Marble
• Sand
• Gravel
• Gold
• Copper
• Iron
• Diamonds
• Gemstones
Why do we mine?
• Energy- coal, oil, natural
gas, uranium
• Technology- metals for
electronics
• Infrastructure- rocks,
gravel, metals
• Agriculture- minerals for
fertilizers
• Luxury- diamonds, gold,
sapphires, rubies, etc.
Mining Methods
There are two methods of mining:
(a) Surface Mining (b) Underground Mining
Surface Mining
• This is used to extract ore minerals near the surface of the
earth.
• The soil and rocks that covered the ores are removed
through blasting.
• Blasting is a controlled use of explosives and gas exposure to
break rocks
Surface Mining – Open Pit Mining
• This is the most common
type of surface mining.
Open pit means a big hole
(or pit) in the ground. The
pit in mine is created by
blasting with explosives
and drilling. It is used to
mine gravel and sand, and
even crushed stone
aggregate.
Surface Mining – Open Pit Mining
• Used when minerals are close to the surface
• Mined from top downward in layers
• Ore pulled out via trucks
• Gold and Copper can be mined this way
Surface Mining – Strip Mining
• This mining type involves the removal of a thin strip of
overburden (earth or soil) above a desired deposit, dumping
the removed overburden behind the deposit, extracting the
desired deposit, creating a second, parallel strip in the same
manner and depositing the waste materials from that second
(new) strip onto the first strip.
Surface Mining – Strip Mining
• This is used for coal, phosphates, clays, and tar mining.
• Overburden layer can be replaced once the mineral has been
taken out of the ground.
Surface Mining – Dredging
• This is the process of mining materials from the bottom of a
body of water, including rivers, lakes, and oceans.
• Black sand is mined at sea and coastline in some areas in the
Philippines through this method.
Underground Mining
• This is used to extract the rocks, minerals and other precious
stones that can be found beneath the earth’s surface.
• In underground mining, miners need to create a tunnel so they
can reach the ore minerals.
• This kind of mining is more expensive and dangerous as
compared to surface mining because miners need to use
explosive devices to remove the minerals from the rocks that
cover them.
Underground Mining – Room and
Pillar Mining
• “Rooms” are cut into seams of coal
• Pillars of ore are left standing to
support the ceiling
• When all possible ore is extracted
from the rooms, the pillars are then
removed and the land above
collapses
Underground Mining – Long Wall
Mining
• A machine (a shearer) cuts and
scrapes coal from the wall of a coal
seam
• The coal drops onto a conveyor belt
• The ceiling next to the machine is
held up by roof supports and as the
machine advances into the coal
seam the roof collapses
Mineral Processing
Mineral processing is the process of extracting minerals from the
ore, refining them, and preparing these minerals for use. The
primary steps involved in processing minerals include:
1. Sampling – is the removal of a portion which represents a
whole needed for the analysis of this material.
2. Analysis – is important to evaluate the valuable component
in an ore. This includes chemical, mineral and particle size
analysis.
3. Comminution – is the process where the valuable
components of the ore are separated through crushing and
grinding. This process begins by crushing the ores to a
particular size and finishes it by grinding the ores into a
powder form.
4. Concentration – involves the separation of the valuable
minerals from the raw materials.
5. Dewatering – uses the concentration to convert it to usable
minerals. This involves filtration and sedimentation of the
suspension and drying of the solid materials harvested from
this suspension.
Environmental Impacts of Mining
• Air and noise pollution Because the
• Water pollution environmental
• Displacement of wildlife impacts are so
great, mining is
• Erosion and sedimentation one of the most
• Soil degradation heavily regulated
• Subsidence industries in the
Philippines!
Environmental Impacts of Mining
• What do you think happens when water
is contaminated with a mineral like
sulfur?
• Minerals that contain a lot of sulfur and
react with oxygen and water to produce
dilute sulfuric acid
• Contaminated water from this process is
called Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
Environmental Impacts of Mining
• Excess rock from mines is
dumped into large piles
called dumps.
• Running water erodes
unprotected dumps and
may harm water quality
and aquatic life
Environmental Impacts of Mining
• The sinking of regions of ground
with little or no horizontal
movement
• Caused when pillars in a mine
collapse or the mine roof or floor
fails
• Buildings, houses, roads, bridges,
underground pipelines and utilities
may be damaged