ORES AND MINERALS

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes on ores, minerals, mining, processing, exploration, and environmental impacts.

Mineral

Natural materials in which the metals or their compounds are found in the earth.

Ore

Minerals from which metals can be extracted profitably, conveniently, and quickly; not all minerals are ores.

Ore vs Mineral

All minerals are not ores; only minerals from which metals can be profitably extracted are ores.

Open Pit Mining

A surface mining method where rock is removed to access shallow resource deposits.

Strip Mining

Surface mining that removes overburden to reach deposits; used for fairly shallow deposits.

Underground Mining

Mining carried out below the surface via tunnels and shafts.

Placer Mining

Extraction of minerals from riverbeds or sedimentary deposits, often by panning or sluicing.

In-situ Mining

Solution mining where chemicals dissolve ore underground and the pregnant solution is pumped to the surface.

Milling

Crushing and grinding ore into a fine slurry before further processing.

Concentrating

Separating ore from waste rock to produce a mineral concentrate, often by flotation.

Smelting

Heating or roasting ore to remove impurities and extract metal from sulfide compounds.

Refining

Purifying metal, usually by electrorefining, to very high purity (often >99.9%).

Exploration

Process of locating ore bodies through mapping, sampling, and tests.

Gravimetric Exploration

Using gravity measurements; higher density ore bodies produce higher gravity readings.

Self Potential

Geophysical method measuring natural electric potentials to indicate mineralization.

Induced Polarization

Geophysical imaging by inducing current and measuring chargeability of subsurface materials.

Exploratory Drilling

Final proof of mineralization by drilling cores in multiple directions for analysis.

Metallurgy

Art and science of extracting metals from ores and modifying them for use.

Pollution (Mining Impacts)

Enviromental pollution from mining: air, water, and soil contamination and dust.

Subsidence

Ground surface sinking due to old, deep mines, potentially damaging structures.

Environmental Impacts of Mining

Includes pollution, land destruction, subsidence, noise, energy use, and ecological effects.

Non-renewable Resource

Mineral resources are finite; require sustainable approaches like recycling and reduced waste.