Unit 5: Land Use - Mining and Urbanization Flashcards

A comprehensive vocabulary review of Unit 5 topics including mining basics, environmental impacts of mineral extraction, reclamation techniques, and the effects of urbanization and sprawl.

Ore

Commercially valuable deposits of concentrated minerals that can be harvested and used as raw materials.

Metals

Elements found within ores that conduct electricity, heat, and have structural properties for building.

Reserve

The known amount of a resource left that can be mined, usually measured in years of extraction remaining.

Overburden

The soil, vegetation, and rocks that are removed to gain access to an ore deposit located underneath.

Tailings and Slag

Leftover waste material separated from the valuable metal or mineral within ore, often stored in ponds at the mine site.

Surface Mining

The removal of large portions of soil and rock (overburden) to access ore near the surface; examples include open pit, strip, and mountaintop removal.

Cyanidation (Cyanide Leaching)

A gold mining process used for over 130 years where cyanide is used to dissolve and stabilize gold in a water-soluble compound.

Heap Leaching

A method where a cyanide solution is sprayed onto large piles of crushed ore to dissolve gold and collect it on a pad underneath.

Vat Leaching

A process where ore is mixed with cyanide in large tanks, resulting in waste tailings that are stored in large dams.

Subsurface Mining

Mining that involves drilling vertical shafts and using elevators to transport workers and resources deep underground; often used as surface deposits are depleted.

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)

An impact where rainwater leaks into abandoned mine tunnels and mixes with pyrite ($FeS_2$) to form sulfuric acid ($H_2SO_4$), lowering the pH of nearby water.

Methane ($CH_4$) Release

A greenhouse gas released from rock around coal during mining that can seep out even after a mine closes, contributing to climate change.

Mine Reclamation

The process of restoring land to its original state after mining by filling shafts, restoring contours, removing acids from topsoil, and replanting native plants.

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977

A United States law that established the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) to regulate the restoration of mined land.

Impervious Surfaces

Human-made structures like roads, buildings, and parking lots that do not allow water to reach the soil, leading to increased runoff and flooding.

Saltwater Intrusion

The movement of saltwater into fresh groundwater, often caused by excessive groundwater withdrawal in coastal cities or sea level rise.

Urban Sprawl

The movement of population from high-density urban centers to less dense suburban areas that spread into rural lands.

Blight

The unsightly, rundown state of infrastructure in cities that occurs as residents and businesses leave for the suburbs, leading to a decline in tax revenue.

Urban Growth Boundaries

Zoning laws set by cities that prevent development beyond a certain boundary to curb urban sprawl.

Mixed Land Use

A development strategy where residential, business, and entertainment buildings are located in the same area to enable walkability.

Gentrification

The process where the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing but often displacing current inhabitants.