Surface mining
Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts or tunnels. In most forms of surface mining, heavy equipment, such as earthmovers, first remove the overburden. Next, large machines, such as dragline excavators or bucket-wheel excavators, extract the mineral.
- Caption
- enStrip mining at Garzweiler surface mine in Germany. The lignite being extracted is at left, the removed overburden being placed at right. Note that it is a largely flat mine for a horizontal mineral.
- Comment
- enSurface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts or tunnels. In most forms of surface mining, heavy equipment, such as earthmovers, first remove the overburden. Next, large machines, such as dragline excavators or bucket-wheel excavators, extract the mineral.
- Date
- enJuly 2021
- Depiction
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- 12001
- Has abstract
- enSurface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts or tunnels. In North America, where the majority of surface coal mining occurs, this method began to be used in the mid-16th century and is practiced throughout the world in the mining of many different minerals. In North America, surface mining gained popularity throughout the 20th century, and surface mines now produce most of the coal mined in the United States. In most forms of surface mining, heavy equipment, such as earthmovers, first remove the overburden. Next, large machines, such as dragline excavators or bucket-wheel excavators, extract the mineral. The pros of surface mining are that it has a lower financial cost and is a lot safer than underground mining because all mining operations take place above the surface. The cons are the hazards it presents to human health and the environment. Humans face a variety of health risks caused by mining such as different cardiovascular diseases, food, and water contamination. Habitat destruction, alongside air, noise, and water pollution, are all significant negative environmental impacts caused by the side effects of surface mining.
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- 230
- Hypernym
- Category
- Is primary topic of
- Surface mining
- Label
- enSurface mining
- Link from a Wikipage to an external page
- www.nma.org/pdf/fact_sheets/why_surface_mine.pdf
- Link from a Wikipage to another Wikipage
- Appalachian Mountains
- Auger (drill)
- Biodiversity
- Borrow pit
- Bucket-wheel excavator
- Category:Environmental impact of mining
- Category:Surface mining
- Coal
- Coal mining
- Coal mining in the United States
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
- Dragline excavator
- Dredging
- Endemic species
- Environmental impact statement
- Erosion
- File:Acid Mine Drainage.jpg
- File:Bagger-garzweiler.jpg
- File:Chino copper mine.jpg
- File:Coal mine Wyoming.jpg
- File:Flickr - Nicholas T - German Settlement Reclamation Project (Revisited) (2).jpg
- File:Mega HIghwall Mining ADDCAR 16.jpg
- File:Siilinjärvi mine.jpg
- Flooding
- Floyd County, Kentucky
- Garzweiler surface mine
- Habitat destruction
- Haul road
- Haul truck
- Heavy equipment
- Hobet Coal Mine
- International Coal Group
- Introduced species
- Kentucky
- Land reclamation
- Lignite
- Local community
- Martin County, Kentucky
- Minerals
- Mingo County, West Virginia
- Mining
- Mountaintop removal mining
- National Environmental Policy Act
- Natural environment
- Open-pit mining
- Outcrop
- Overburden
- Reforestation
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
- Rock (geology)
- Shaft mining
- Shaft sinking
- Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977
- Tailings
- Tennessee
- Terrace (earthworks)
- Underground mining
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- United States Penitentiary, Big Sandy
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wikipedia:DATED
- Reason
- enbad wording, see WP:DATED - use an explicit index date
- enthis "sentence" has no apparent grammatical structure and is thus incomprehensible. Seems also to be some sort of marketing copy
- SameAs
- 4058898-1
- Avakaevandamine
- Cairéal
- Cantera
- Cantera
- Cårire
- Carrière (géologie)
- Cava (miniera)
- Chwarel
- Dagbrot
- Dagbrott
- Dagbrud
- Dagbrudd
- Dnevni kop
- Gairbheal
- Galian
- Groeve
- Gurorja
- Harrobi
- Karjäär (mäendus)
- Karjeras
- Karyer
- Kopalnia odkrywkowa
- Kuari
- Külfejtés
- Lom
- Lom (ťažba)
- Lombong dedah
- Louhinta
- m.05pph5
- Mineração a céu aberto
- Mỏ đá
- oSDW
- Pedreira
- Pedrera
- Pedrera
- Peirièra
- Penambangan terbuka
- Pirrera (scavu)
- Površinski kop
- Q188040
- Q756944
- Quarry
- Quarry
- Ŝtonmino
- Subĉiela minado
- Surface mining
- Surface mining
- Taş ocağı
- Λατομείο
- Ашық тау кен ісі
- Відкрите розроблення родовищ
- Кар'єр
- Кариера (мина)
- Карьер
- Карьер
- Карьер
- Открытые горные работы
- Површинска експлоатација
- מחצבה
- تعدين سطحي
- معدن سنگ
- مقلع (طبوغرافية)
- पाषाण खान
- క్వారీ
- ಅರೆ ಅಥವಾ ಕಲ್ಲುಗಣಿ
- ക്വാറി
- เหมืองผิวดิน
- კარიერი
- 採石場
- 沙石场
- 노천광
- 채석장
- Subject
- Category:Environmental impact of mining
- Category:Surface mining
- Thumbnail
- WasDerivedFrom
- Surface mining?oldid=1120603184&ns=0
- WikiPageLength
- 26274
- Wikipage page ID
- 1702997
- Wikipage revision ID
- 1120603184
- WikiPageUsesTemplate
- Template:Authority control
- Template:Cn
- Template:Commons category
- Template:Convert
- Template:Expand section
- Template:Huh%3F
- Template:Main
- Template:Mining techniques
- Template:More citations needed
- Template:Panorama
- Template:Pollution
- Template:Reflist
- Template:Short description
- Template:When%3F
- Template:Who
