APES Withgott & Laposata Minerals and Mining

rock

a solid material made up of one or more minerals (a mixture of minerals)

mineral

a naturally formed, inorganic solid that has a definite crystalline structure and a specific chemical composition

coltran

ore of tantalum used in many electronics

mining

extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth

metal

an element that tends to be shiny, easily shaped and is a good conductor of heat and electricity

ore

Deposit in which a mineral exists in large enough amounts to be mined at a profit.

smelting

The process by which ore is melted to separate the useful metal from other elements.

tailings

what is left behind once the valuable portion of the ore is removed.

surface impoundments

Store slurries of tailings ( liquid mine waste)- accidents release pollutants into the environment.

strip mining

layers of surface soil and rock are removed from large areas to expose the resource

acid mine drainage

Refers to the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines as pyrite breaks down and sulfuric acid is formed

leachate

water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents.

subsurface mining

The extraction of mineral and energy resources from deep underground deposits.

open pit mining

A mining technique that creates a large visible pit or hole in the ground

quarry

a deep pit where stone is cut (or sediment removed) out of the ground

placer mining

a mining technique in which metals and precious stones are sought in river sediments

mountaintop removal mining

a large scale form of coal mining in which entire mountaintops are leveled

solution mining

Resources in a deep deposit are dissolved in a liquid and siphoned out. Also called in-situ recovery

reclamation

the process of returning land to something like original condition after mining is completed

1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

requires restoration of strip-mined lands, companies need to post a bond before mining is approved

General Mining Act of 1872

Act that encourages metal and mineral mining on federal land.