Surface mines offer advantages and disadvantages when compared to underground mining. Amongst the advantages are that it is cheaper, can recover more of the resource (usually up to 100% within the mining excavation), is safer and can use larger-scale mining equipment offering higher production rates.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of surface mining?
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Surface Mining? Advantages of surface mining include economic and financial benefits for miners and communities and a safer alternative to pit mining, but its disadvantages include environmental impacts, such as erosion and contamination.
What type of mining is considered surface mining?
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...
How does mining affect the landscape?
Altering the landscape also impacts the local plant and wildlife populations, as plants and animals lose their homes to the mining operations. The risk of spills and leaks increases with surface mining, and the establishment of mines jeopardizes the value and structural integrity of surrounding homes and real estate.
What equipment is used in surface mining?
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.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of surface mining?
Advantages of surface mining include economic and financial benefits for miners and communities and a safer alternative to pit mining, but its disadvantages include environmental impacts, such as erosion and contamination . Surface mining, also called strip mining, delivers economically vital supplies of coal, which powers transportation ...
Why is surface mining bad?
It draws criticism for polluting and changing local streams, filling them with rocks and potentially harmful toxins. Surface mining also requires the clearing of large tracts of land, which necessitates removal of many acres of forest. The cutting of trees invites erosion, as tree roots anchor soil and earthen material to the land's surface.
How does cutting trees affect the environment?
The cutting of trees invites erosion, as tree roots anchor soil and earthen material to the land's surface. Altering the landscape also impacts the local plant and wildlife populations, as plants and animals lose their homes to the mining operations.
Why is surface mining important?
In addition to being safe and efficient, precision surface mining methods are helping miners create better sustainability practices. The vibrations caused by blasting can damage nearby infrastructure , including roads, utility lines, pipelines and buildings. To avoid this, mines are forced to abandon areas within close proximity to these obstacles. Surface excavation machines produce significantly less vibration and can work closer to existing infrastructure, helping to reduce the amount of mineral-rich material wasted.
What are the attributes of precision mining machinery?
Another attribute of precision mining machinery that is helping with mining safety is how much more efficient the process is. Drilling and blasting require several more steps. First, blasthole drills create the holes to hold the explosives. The holes are then loaded and detonated creating rubble that has to be filtered and crushed ...
What is surface excavation?
Heavy machinery, known as surface excavation machines, equipped with powerful cutting wheels are used to break up hard, rocky material at precision mining operations. Mines utilizing these machines have been able to reduce the amount of explosives used to extract material, helping to alleviate miner and community safety concerns.
What is the rise in precision mining methods?
According to Vermeer Specialty Excavation Application Engineer, Tyler Sikora, the rise in precision mining methods is one of the ways surface mining operations are addressing an increasing number of stringent regulations pertaining to the use of explosives. “Most countries have strict guidelines for handling and storing explosives, which is driving mining costs up,” he explained. “And, for many large mining operations, there is increasing pressure from nearby communities to reduce the amount of noise, vibration and dust normal mining practices produce.”
Why do surface excavators work?
Surface excavation machines produce significantly less vibration and can work closer to existing infrastructure, helping to reduce the amount of mineral-rich material wasted. “The ability to excavate in these areas, allows mining companies to extract more material in less space, which can help reduce their operational footprint,” said Sikora.
Is surface mining safe?
Precision surface mining methods — safe and sustainable. Flying rock debris, dust, noise and vibrations — these are a few of the common safety concerns for surface mining operations. For more than a century, drilling holes into hard rock and using explosives is the first step of processing the mineral-rich material and aggregates.
What is 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.
How does surface mining affect the environment?
Surface mining can have both a negative and positive effect on the local environment. The negative effects can be extremely destructive in soil quality, water contamination, air and noise pollution, landscape alteration and many other negatives.
What is highwall mining?
Highwall mining. Highwall mining is another form of mining sometimes conducted to recover additional coal adjacent to a surface mined area. The method evolved from auger mining but does not meet the definition of surface mining since it does not involve the removal of overburden to expose the coal seam.
Where is the overburden placed in the excavation produced by the previous strip?
"Contour mining" involves removing the overburden above the mineral seam near the outcrop in hilly terrain, where the mineral outcrop usually follows the contour of the land.
How deep is the coal seam?
MTR involves the mass restructuring of earth in order to reach the coal seam as deep as 400 feet (120 m) below the surface.
What are the effects of mining on humans?
One particular effect on a humans health is particulate matter, such as particles of dust, metals, acid, and soil suspended in the air can be inhaled and lead to serious repercussions .
What is the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977?
In the United States, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 mandates reclamation of surface coal mines. Reclamation for non-coal mines is regulated by state and local laws, which may vary widely.
