All Flashcards
What is a major environmental cause of coal mining?
Water contamination and dust/methane production.
What is the effect of tailings and waste rock on the environment?
Heavy metals can leach into soil and water, causing contamination.
What is the effect of mining operations on local communities?
Mining operations degrade land and destroy natural landscapes.
What is the impact of removing vegetation and topsoil?
Destroys habitats for local species.
Define 'overburden' in mining.
The soil and rock removed to reach the minerals.
Define 'tailings/slag' in mining.
Leftover materials after mineral extraction.
Define 'waste rock' in mining.
Rock removed that doesn't contain valuable minerals.
What is heap leaching?
Extracts minerals using chemical solutions to dissolve and collect them from piles of ore.
What are the general steps of open-pit mining?
- Remove overburden. 2. Extract minerals. 3. Process minerals. 4. Manage waste.
What are the general steps of strip mining?
- Remove overburden in strips. 2. Extract minerals (like coal). 3. Replace overburden. 4. Reclaim the land.
What are the general steps of heap leaching?
- Pile ore into heaps. 2. Apply chemical solutions. 3. Collect mineral-rich solution. 4. Extract minerals from the solution.