Earth Science Unit 3
Mining is a necessary industry that provides access to materials vital to modern life. However, it is important that mining operations are performed with the environment in mind. If proper care is taken, mining does not have to have permanent damaging effects on ecosystems and communities. Here are just a few changes that the mining industry can make to lessen its impact on the environment.
- Reduce water usage: Mining operations can work to reduce water use by installing a water treatment unit that reclaims water from effluent. Mines can also recycle water to reduce water use in the local environment. - Use alternative energy sources: Mining equipment requires a lot of energy to operate. If mines switch from standard electricity sources—usually coal-burning power plants—to wind or solar power, they could reduce their use of fossil fuels. - Dispose of waste properly: Mines produce a great deal of waste, much of which is toxic or radioactive. If it is not properly disposed of, these harmful materials can leak into the environment causing extreme damage and even human death. - Practice land reclamation: Mine mining sites have a limited life span based on the amount of ore in the earth. Once a site is depletedof its resources, reclamation can begin. This is the process of restoring land to its natural—or otherwise safely habitable—condition. - Recycle e-waste: There is only a finite amount of these resources on Earth, so people need to efficiently recycle and reuse various parts of discarded electronics. Certified e-waste recyclers must adhere to environmental regulations to ensure no further damage is done to the environment. To avoid processing costs involved with recycling, many companies transport e-waste to developing parts of Africa and Asia where proper protocols are not followed, resulting in more pollution.
Silicon, silica, and silicone are often all found in smartphones. What's the difference?
- Silicon is a nonmetallic element with semiconductor properties. It is used to make computer chips. - Silica is silicon dioxide, or an atom of silicon bonded with two oxygen atoms. It is the primary component of sand and is used to make glass. - Silicone is a synthetic polymer (a substance made of long chain molecules) made of silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. It has a rubber-like texture and highly insulating properties.
What will happen in an area where large deposits of a desired mineral are found? Select the two correct answers.
- The area will experience a downturn once all of the available resources are mined. - The area will experience a short-term economic boom.
Which of the following are negative consequences of cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo? Select the two correct answers.
- Thousands of children work in cobalt mines. - Dust from cobalt mines causes lung and skin damage.
Aluminum metal
- a good conductor of electricity - a silvery white solid
Alumina
- also known as aluminum oxide - white powder produced from the refinement of bauxite - an electrical insulator
What are examples of repurposing land as part of land reclamation? Select the two correct answers.
- creating a community garden - building a golf course and golf club
What environmental impacts are caused by both surface mining and underground mining? Select the two correct answers.
- destruction of ecosystems - local water contamination
Which statements best describe underground mining when compared to surface mining?
- least destructive to the environment - can release dangerous methane gas - highest probability of reclamation success - can lead to forming sinkholes
Properties- Aluminum
- lighter - easier to recycle
Risks in underground mining
- lung disease caused by dust and rock particles - greater risk of mine collapsing - loss of hearing by heavy machinery - risk of rock bursts
Risks in surface mining
- lung disease caused by dust and rock particles - loss of hearing by heavy machinery - greater risk of UV exposure from the sun
Take a look at two methods used to extract metals from their ore:
- reduction (using carbon): Metals such as lead and iron are extracted from the ore by burning it with carbon in a blast furnace at very high temperatures. As carbon is cheaper, this method is less expensive than electrolysis. This method produces waste gases, such as carbon dioxide. - electrolysis: Metals such as aluminum are more reactive than carbon and cannot be extracted by reduction using carbon. They are extracted using electrolysis. Electrolysis uses an electric current to induce a chemical reaction called a reduction-oxidation reaction. The main cost of electrolysis is electricity.
Land Reclamation Goals
- removal of hazardous materials or environmental dangers to the public - restoration of local wildlife and environmental engineering to promote local ecosystem health - repurposing land to add economic value to local communities
Which risks are involved in both underground mining and surface mining? Select the two correct answers.
- respiratory disease - ground instability
How can both surface and underground mining affect miners' health? Select the two correct answers.
- risk of lung disease, like silicosis - risk of injuries from heavy equipment
Which of the following are used in the production of smartphones? Select the three correct answers.
- silicon - lithium - cobalt
Mining resources for use in smart devices has significant consequences on people around the world. However, these minerals continue to impact people long after the minerals are extracted from the ground. According to the United Nations, people produce
41 million tons of waste each year, and this amount is only expected to grow.
Your cell phone may be small, but it contains about
75 different elements. The mineral commodities used to make smart devices are sourced from all over the world. The graphite used in battery anodes often comes from China or India, while the potassium used to strengthen screen glass may come from Canada or Russia.
According to the USGS, how much total copper was contained in world reserves as of 2018?
790 millions tons
Which statements accurately compare the environmental impact of surface mining to the environmental impact of underground mining? Select the two correct answers.
- Both surface mining and underground mining risk causing severe water pollution. - Surface mining causes more destruction of land ecosystems than underground mining.
The availability of rock and mineral resources has major effects on human activity. Which of the following are true statements?
- Easily mined mineral resources are used for glass-making and fertilizer - Rare earth minerals are useful in devices, but they are also hard to extract - Mining of minerals can promote job creation in new areas
Why is bauxite the most common ore that aluminum is extracted from? Select the two correct answers.
- It is the most abundant ore of aluminum. - It is located near the surface and can be easily strip mined.
Properties- Tin
- More resistant to corrosion - more durable - easier to extract
What is alumina?
Alumina is aluminum oxide—a compound of aluminum and oxygen.
Why is strip mining generally used for bauxite?
Bauxite is found at or near Earth's surface, so it is most easily accessed using strip mining.
Which statement is true about the potential environmental impact on local water by both surface and underground mining?
Both types of mining can cause acid and heavy metals to get into local water.
So does land reclamation successfully mitigate the environmental impacts of surface mining?
Certainly any effort to reclaim land is better than simple abandonment. However, analysis of the success of land reclamation efforts should inform decisions about permitting new mining operations.
Cobalt
Cobalt is a key component in lithium-ion batteries. Most lithium-ion batteries are based on a mixture of lithium and cobalt such as lithium cobalt oxide or lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide. In addition to batteries, cobalt can also be found in paint, jet engines, and many other products, but it is the proliferation of lithium-ion batteries that has increased the demand for cobalt. Smartphone batteries have around 8.5 grams (0.3 ounces) of cobalt which is equivalent to the weight of about three pennies. Electric car batteries, however, contain as much as 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds) of cobalt, which is about the weight of two gallons of milk.
Land Reclamation Issues- Standards and measurements:
During the permitting process, a detailed plan for reclamation is agreed to. A challenge to developing this plan is arriving at agreements about exactly how successful reclamation will be defined and monitored. To establish standards and measurements of success, the advice and skill of a large range of experts, including soil scientists, hydrologists, engineers, aquatic biologists, and water quality specialists, is sought.
What are the results of mining sand dunes?
Entire mountainous sand dunes have disappeared.
Why do you think gold is found as a pure metal in nature while aluminum is found in ores?
Gold is not reactive, so it does not easily form chemical compounds with other elements, while aluminum is highly reactive and readily forms compounds.
What properties and characteristics made each of these minerals desirable?
Gold is valued because it does not rust or corrode. Rare earth minerals are valued because they can be used in modern technologies like batteries.
Which health and safety risk is associated with tailings dams?
If the dam fails, it can cause a flood of toxic materials.
When compared to underground mining, why does surface mining have a larger impact on land ecosystems?
In surface mining, large areas of land are completely cleared of vegetation and topsoil.
In the U.S., is underground mining or surface mining more dangerous? How do you know?
In the U.S., underground mining is generally more dangerous than surface mining. In 2015, there were 2.08 deaths per 10,000 workers in underground mines, but about one-third of that number in surface mines. In terms of nonfatal injuries, there were 284.3 nonfatal lost-time injuries per 10,000 workers in underground mines, but less than half of that, 125.6 per 10,000 workers, in surface mines.
What properties of silica sand make it useful in hydraulic fracturing?
It can withstand great pressure.
Lithium
Lithium is a soft metal and the lightest element that is solid at standard room temperature and pressure. It is highly reactive and flammable. Lithium is also one of the primary components of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones and other portable electronics. Lithium ion batteries have caused numerous fires and explosions when they've been mishandled or damaged. Lithium-ion batteries are made up of an anode, a cathode, a separator, an electrolyte, and two current collectors, one positive and one negative. The lithium is stored in the anode and cathode. The electrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode. This movement of ions produces free electrons in the anode, which in turn creates a charge at the positive current collector. From there, the electrical current flows into the smartphone (or other device) and through the circuits to the negative current collector.
Two unknown mineral samples, A and B, are rubbed against each other. Mineral A scratches mineral B. What can you infer about the minerals?
Mineral A is harder than mineral B.
Which of the following statements about recycling electronic waste is true?
Minerals can be extracted from recycled electronics.
How has mining silica sand from sand dunes influenced human activity?
Mining silica sand provided jobs. Glass made from silica sand was used for canning jars. Removal of sand dunes has affected people's use of lake shore areas of Lake Michigan.
Which of the following statements about mining booms is true?
Property values tend to increase in the short term.
How have rare earth minerals affected human activity?
Rare earth minerals have enabled people to develop new technologies. Because mining these minerals has negative environmental effects, people are now seeking to reduce their dependence on these minerals or to find ways to reuse these resources.
Land Reclamation Issues- Costs:
Reclamation can be very expensive, often running to more than $1.5 million for a small site. Funding for reclamation can come from a variety of sources. The primary source is the mining company itself. Other sources of funds include federal grants, government-collected mining fees, partnerships for development (if the land will have a commercial use), and environmental nonprofit organization grants. A particular challenge is finding the funding for reclaiming mines long ago abandoned by the original mining company.
Impacts of Mining on Water: Surface Mining
Releasing the overburden into the environment often has severely negative effects on water. Local waterways suffer from the impact of increased sediment runoff. In many cases, contaminants like acids or heavy metals leach from the overburden into groundwater or become part of runoff into local waterways. In some cases of mountaintop removal mining, all of the removed material fills nearby valleys, completely clogging small creeks and streams.
What properties of silica make it useful for making glass?
Silica has a high melting point. When it is melted, it becomes transparent.
Silicon
Silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust, just behind oxygen. It is a nonmetallic element and is not found in its pure form in nature. Silicon is often found in silicon dioxide, also known as silica, as a main component of sand. Silicon is also a main component of quartz crystals. In electronics, silicon is used to make computer chips, transistors, silicon diodes, and other electronic circuits and switching devices because it is an ideal semiconductor. A semiconductor is a crystal material that is more able to conduct electricity as its temperature goes up. Silicon chips, used in computers, cell phones, and even microwave ovens, can be a half inch square yet contain millions of transistors providing control and memory functions.
Before the 1970s, states attempted to legislate and regulate efforts to recover environmentally damaged lands. However there were many issues with setting standards and measuring results. In 1977, the federal government got involved by passing the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). Though this legislation was applicable to just coal mines, it became the foundation for setting standards for all surface mining reclamation. Now a mining company must get a permit before mining can begin. As part of that permitting process, the company must present a detailed reclamation plan for the area when the mine is closed.
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 set health and safety standards for mines and mandated multiple mine inspections each year. What data trend does the passage of this law help explain?
The annual number of coal mining fatalities in the U.S. dropped sharply between 1970 and 1980, from 18.00 fatalities per 10,000 workers to 5.26 fatalities per 10,000 workers.
Describe the possible issues with reclamation of the phosphate mining site listed by the blogger.
The blogger mentions a new sinkhole near her house. She also talks about water contaminated with lead and other metals. Wildlife numbers are also reduced.
Based on the blogger's concerns, how might a more detailed analysis of a land reclamation affect future mining?
The guidelines for determining a successful reclamation might need to be more rigorous. If not, local citizens may protest against and try to block the opening of any new phosphate mining operations.
Light bounces off of a mineral sample. What can you say about the mineral?
The mineral is reflective.
Land Reclamation Issues- Conflicts of interest:
The mining company's main interest is to profit from the mining of a resource. The role of the mining company in reclamation is imposed by government via setting permit requirements. This is a basic conflict of interest. Certainly it is more profitable for a mining company to keep reclamation efforts to a minimum when there is no profit to be had.
Describe how the prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung) has changed over time in the U.S.
The number of deaths with coal workers' pneumoconiosis as an underlying cause or as a contributing cause has decreased since 1960.
Part of the process of refining copper includes electrolysis—the use of electricity to separate out impurities. How does this compare to the Hall-Héroult process?
This is similar to the Hall-Héroult process, since both require a great deal of electricity to purify the metal.
How have phosphate minerals most affected human activity?
Using phosphate minerals in fertilizer allowed humans to grow more crops.
Impacts of Mining on Water: Underground Mining
Water is important for clearing underground mine tunnels and for processing the ore being mined. In some cases, acids or other chemicals are added to water to separate the ore from the surrounding rock. The storage and cleanup of this contaminated water is a major issue. Often the water is stored in large, above-ground lakes, dammed off to prevent runoff from contaminating the area. In some cases, the breakdown of such a dam causes an environmental catastrophe that results in significant loss of life and severe environmental destruction.
What is the definition of solvent ?
a chemical that can dissolve other substances
What is the definition of rare-earth elements ?
a group of metallic elements in the lanthanide series that are difficult and dangerous to extract
What is the definition of dredge ?
a machine that lifts sediment from the bottom of a body of water
What is the definition of hardness ?
a mineral's ability to resist scratching
An element is
a naturally occurring substance that cannot be broken down further through chemical processes.
Phosphorous is another example of a mined mineral that has greatly influenced human activity. Phosphorous is
a necessary nutrient for all living things. Phosphorous is found in every cell in the human body, especially in bones. Plants also depend on phosphorous in order to grow, and phosphorous is a key ingredient in fertilizers. As the human population continues to increase, phosphate fertilizers are crucial to growing enough food to feed all people.
What is the definition of trommel ?
a rotating cylindrical screen used for washing and sorting ore
While most mineral commodities come from large industrial mines, artisanal mining is
a small-scale mining method that is common throughout the world. Rather than working as employees of large mining companies, individuals extract minerals on their own, often at unregulated sites.
Lithium is
a soft, silvery-white metal and is the lightest metal. It is also the lightest element that is solid at room temperature and pressure. As you read about various methods used to extract lithium, consider the environmental impact and the cost benefit of each method.
An ore is
a substance from which metal or valuable minerals can be extracted.
What is the definition of sustainable ?
able to continue over a period of time
______ form where flowing water slows down.
alluvial deposits
______ causes some minerals to break along smooth planes.
cleavage
Like cobalt, other mineral commodities are associated with human rights violations. One of these categories is
conflict minerals
Various resources are recovered from the earth through mining:
copper for wiring, silica sand for smartphone screens, coal for energy production, and more. Modern life would be drastically different without these mineral resources. However, extracting these minerals can be a dangerous task. Mining carries a number of health and safety risks for miners, and even for surrounding communities.
Modern life would not be possible without metal resources. Humans have relied on metals since they first discovered
copper smelting over 5,000 years ago. Availability and access to metal is an important consideration as people develop new technologies.
______ occurs when a material is destroyed by a chemical action.
corrosion
Tin is highly resistant to
corrosionand is used in alloys with other metals. Copper and tin together make bronze, which is much stronger than either metal alone. Tin and niobium create an alloy that is superconductive—when sufficiently cooled, this material exhibits zero electrical resistance. As you read more about tin, keep the other metals you've learned about in mind.
Mining booms continue today as
demand for certain minerals increases and as mineral deposits are discovered. Western Australia experienced booms in the 1800s and 1900s as it mined and exported minerals like gold, iron, and diamonds. As new technologies have developed that rely on minerals like tantalum and lithium, Western Australia is experiencing a new mining boom. Mining these resources has provided a boost for the Australian economy in the short term, but people are mindful that the boom can only last as long as the mineral resources do.
A mineral with high ______ has a large amount of mass compared to its volume.
density
All mining involves
digging into the earth to remove valuable materials that make modern life possible. However, the mining method depends on a number of factors, such as the type of mineral being mined, the depth of the ore in the earth, and how valuable the material is.
Cell phones are composed of
dozens of minerals and metals ranging from common metals such as aluminum and tin to rare-earth elements such as neodymium and yttrium.
A ______ is used in placer mining to lift and sift through sediment from the bottom of a body of water.
dredge
Underground mining, or deep mining, involves
drilling deep below the surface to extract ores.
What is the definition of e-waste ?
electronics that have been discarded or are near the end of their useful life
What is the definition of depleted ?
exhausted
Metals such as copper, gold, silver, and zinc are
finite resources. With the increase in both demand and consumption of these resources, they will eventually run out. Should people stop mining for these resources or stop buying products that contain these resources? Before taking drastic measures, it's helpful to evaluate how much of each resource is available, how it is being used, and how much is being used. This can promote innovative andsustainable solutions to help manage the resources.
______ is the tendency of some minerals to break along rough surfaces.
fracture
What is the definition of vitreous ?
glassy
Discoveries of mineral resources have a large impact on local economies. In the 1800s, boomtowns like Bodie, California, expanded rapidly as people relocated there to take advantage of the discovery of
gold. Mining provided employment opportunities, and other industries expanded in order to service the growing population. At its height in 1879, Bodie was home to about 8,500 people and hosted stores, saloons, churches, and a bank. Once the gold mines were depleted, however, people moved on to new towns. In just seven years, Bodie's population had decreased to 1,500 people. By the 1950s, Bodie was a true ghost town with a population of zero.
What is the definition of alluvial deposit ?
gravel and sediment deposited where flowing water slows down
A mineral like talc with a low ______ level will scratch easily.
hardness
Rocks and minerals have several properties that can be analyzed to determine how useful a resource is for different applications. Some of these properties are
hardness , density , luster, magnetism , cleavage , and fracture .
Silica sand is one example of a mineral that
has a large impact on human activity due to its many uses. You may have seen silica gel packets, which rely on silica's moisture-absorbing properties. This mineral is also abrasive, meaning it is rough and can be used to polish a surface.
Now, scientists have found a way to use silica's ability to withstand
high pressures. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a method of extracting oil and gas by injecting rocks with a liquid at high pressure. Frac sand is pure silica and is used as a proppant in fracking—it props open the fractures within the rock. While using frac sand enables companies to recover more oil and gas, it comes at an environmental cost. Some groups seek to protect the sand dune ecosystems that are affected by silica sand mining.
What is the definition of magnetism ?
how a mineral reacts when placed within a magnetic field
One important mineral commodity in smart devices is cobalt, which is used in lithium-ion batteries. The majority of cobalt currently comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While cobalt is an important export for the DRC,
human rights violations are common in the cobalt industry.
How is copper used in cell phones?
in the circuitry
No method of mining is without environmental impacts. The major impacts fall into two categories:
land impacts and water pollution.
______ allows an area that was mined to be restored to its previous state.
land reclamation
What is the definition of effluent ?
liquid waste
resinous
looks like amber; not quite glassy
vitreous
looks like glass; glassy
earthy
looks like soil or clay
How are the health impacts of surface mining different from those of underground mining?
lower risk of miner injuries in surface mining
Some minerals are admired for their ______, or the way light interacts with their surfaces.
luster
A mineral is
made of one or more elements that can be broken down through chemical processes.
A mineral's ______, the way it interacts with magnetic fields, affects how it is used.
magnetism
What is the definition of tailings?
material left over after the valuable resources have been removed from ore
Have you ever thought about what makes some rocks and minerals good for one application or another? For example, some rocks and minerals are used in jewelry because of their luster. Different rocks and minerals used in jewelry might have a
metallic, vitreous , or pearly luster.
What is the definition of conflict minerals ?
minerals mined in areas of violent conflict and sold to fund the activities of violent groups
While phosphate used to be derived mainly from bones, people now rely on
mining phosphate rock for this important mineral. The United States, China, Morocco, and Russia are the four largest producers of phosphate, and phosphate mining provides jobs and economic benefits for people in these areas. However, it comes with environmental costs. For example, after decades of phosphate mining, 80 percent of the island nation of Nauru was strip-mined. The phosphate reserves ran out by the year 2000, and the island is not able to grow enough food for its population due to the environmental damage.
Some government policies seek to ______, or lessen, the environmental impacts of mining.
mitigate
Compared to the process of extracting lithium from mineral deposits, the process of extracting lithium from evaporation ponds requires _________ water, ___________ money, ___________ time
more, less, more
What is the definition of ores ?
naturally occurring rocks that contains useful metals and minerals mixed with large amounts of earth
Two common types of surface mining are
open-pit and mountaintop removal. For either of these types of mining, huge areas of land are completely cleared, destroying entire ecosystems. Digging is done in the open by various types of heavy machinery. The vast amounts of material dug up to expose the seam of ore that is being mined, called the overburden , needs to be disposed of. Sometimes this is dumped downhill from the mine itself, further destroying land ecosystems. The overburden may also be dumped on areas or strips that have already been mined.
When ______ are mined, useful metals must still be separated from other minerals.
ores
Most metals and minerals are found in Earth's crust combined with other elements in rocks known as
ores. First the ore needs to be mined or removed from the earth, then the metals and minerals need to be extracted from ores and processed before they can be used. Metals that are found uncombined with other elements, such as gold, just need to be removed from the earth and no further extraction is required.
After an area is mined, companies must dispose of the ______ that was removed in the process.
overburden
Most reactive metals are often found as
oxides (combined with oxygen). To extract the metal, the oxygen must be removed using chemical reactions in a process called reduction . The more reactive the metal is, the harder it is to extract the metal from its ore.
Which would decrease the negative environmental impact of extracting minerals used in smartphones?
properly disposing of mining waste
In 2010, a gold and copper mine collapsed in Copiapó, Chile. Thirty-three miners were trapped 2,300 feet underground for a record 69 days. Rescuers drilled a narrow borehole to provide needed supplies to the trapped miners then worked to drill a wider shaft and a special capsule to bring the miners back to the surface. People all over the world followed the story of the men, who sent video messages to the surface and worked together to keep up their morale. All 33 miners survived the ordeal, but the Copiapó incident highlights the
real risks that must be managed in mining.
Oxygen is removed from a substance through a process called ______.
reduction
What is the definition of reduction ?
removal of oxygen from a substance
To reclaim land from surface mining operations, there are three major components. A first step is
replacing and reforming land where digging has been done. Another component is the cleanup of environmental hazards and contamination, particularly of water. Lastly is either revitalizing ecosystems through appropriate vegetation and wildlife introduction or development of land for appropriate use.
Which of the following is a negative impact of lithium mining on the environment?
requires large quantities of water
What is the definition of artisanal mining , also known as small-scale mining ?
resource extraction by individuals not working at regulated mine sites
Mining companies claim that mining is a temporary impact on the environment, that reclamation does successfully mitigate these impacts and that there are many success stories. In many cases, large areas of land have been successfully
restored to thriving ecosystems or repurposed to other uses.
Some surface area is cleared for underground mining, destroying local ecosystems, though the impact is
significantly less than surface mining. The tunnel digging done for underground mining can lead to mine collapse and to sinkholes forming after mining is complete. Underground mines are much more likely to release dangerous gases, such as methane.
There are 118 elements on the periodic table, and yet 99 percent of the human body is composed of just
six elements. Smartphones, on the other hand, include about 75 different elements. Many of these elements are minerals and metals that are mined from Earth.
______ involves heating an ore in order to extract a metal.
smelting
A ______ is used during in situ mining to dissolve the desired minerals.
solvent
A mining company's land reclamation plan is not accepted because the plan fails to include a system for monitoring local water quality. What issue related to land reclamation is this an example of?
standards and measurement issue
Surface mining involves
stripping surface vegetation, dirt, bedrock and other layers of the earth to reach ore deposits underneath.
What is the definition of tailings dams ?
structures used to hold the chemicals and dust particles left over from extracting valuable minerals from mined ore
In ______, layers of earth are removed to reach ore deposits underneath.
surface mining
Mining involves the recovery of a resource from the earth. There are two main types of mining:
surface mining and underground mining .
______ practices are able to continue over a long period of time.
sustainable
Some health and safety concerns exist even after minerals are extracted from mines. For example,
tailings are the chemicals and dust particles left over from extracting valuable minerals from mined ore. Tailings dams hold in tailings ponds where these leftover toxic materials are stored. If these tailings dams break, the flood of toxic sludge can cause death and destruction. When the tailings dam in Brumadinho, Brazil, broke in January 2019, three billion gallons of mining waste caused an environmental disaster and hundreds of deaths. Safety standards for mines therefore affect not only miners, but also surrounding communities.
______ hold chemicals and particles left over from extracting minerals from ores.
tailings dams
What is the definition of cleavage ?
tendency of a mineral to break along smooth planes
What is the definition of fracture ?
tendency of a mineral to break along surfaces that are not smooth
What is the definition of corrosion ?
the destruction of a material by a chemical action
Many minerals used in smart devices can be recovered if
the devices are properly recycled. Recycling these materials lessens the need for additional mining and the associated health and human rights challenges. However, if devices are not properly recycled, e-waste can cause even more harm to people and the environment.
A company's supply chain can be extensive and convoluted. Think about all the different bits that make up a technological device like a smartphone. The company that sells you that smartphone is not the company that mined the original resources needed to build it. In fact, there are quite a few steps, from
the different mining companies supplying the variety of mineral resources needed to various parts manufacturers making components to the fully built product offered to consumers.
There are surface mining operations in every state. Approximately 8.4 million acres of land have been surface mined in the United States. A big issue is what happens to all that land when the mining is finished? For many years, mines were simply abandoned, leaving huge scars on local landscapes. Land reclamation is
the effort to restore the land from a mining site. Land reclamation is intended to mitigate the environmental damage caused by surface mining.
Aluminum is
the most common metal in Earth's crust and can be found in everything from airplanes to kitchen appliances. Because aluminum is highly reactive, it is almost never found as a pure metal in nature.
What is the definition of surface mining ?
the practice of stripping layers of the earth to reach ore deposits underneath
For years, producers' responsibilities were finished when
the product was on the shelves in the shop or when the guarantee period was over. The primary goal of the company selling a manufactured product was profit. Profit would be determined by factoring in costs of all resources and labor that made up the supply chain to set a price for the product. The more cheaply the product could be manufactured, the lower the price could be set and still make a profit. To the consumer, considerations about the quality of the product would be the primary influence on the price the consumer was willing to pay for that product.
What is the definition of density ?
the ratio between a mineral's mass and its volume
Which statement best describes land reclamation?
the recovery of land that has been degraded by mining operations
What is the definition of overburden ?
the rock or soil that needs to be removed to expose seams of ore
The effects of mining vary with
the type of mine and the resource begin sought.
Mining is a necessity for producing almost all of the technology that makes modern life possible. Without mining, you would not be able to access and read this content. Technological devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers are full of minerals and metals such as lithium, copper, silica, and quartz, among dozens of others. However, mining can have devastating effects on the environment. Depending on
the type of mining performed, different types of pollutants can be released into the air, water, and land. Additionally, vegetation can be stripped away and entire mountaintops removed to allow access to these vital resources obtained through mining.
What is the definition of luster ?
the way light interacts with the surface of a rock or mineral
Prior to the introduction of legislation and regulations, little consideration was given to how the land was left when a mine was closed. New mining operations now must address this; however,
there remain millions of acres of land scarred by mines that are no longer operational.
Which of the following resources is a conflict mineral used in smart devices?
tin
What is the definition of smelting ?
to extract metal from an ore by heating and melting it
What is the definition of mitigate ?
to offset, make less severe, or alleviate
What is the definition of land reclamation ?
to restore land degraded from mining operations
adamantine
translucent with a sparkly appearance
Ore can be washed and sorted using a ______.
trommel
A rock is made of
two or more minerals.
In ______, people drill below Earth's surface to reach ore deposits.
underground mining
the four main types of mining:
underground, surface, placer, and in situ and think about their impact on the environment.
Minerals with a ______ luster appear glassy.
vitreous
