Amongst the advantages are that it is cheaper, can recover more of. Additionally, like most traditional forms of mining, underground mining can release toxic compounds into the air and water. In any discussion of methods of underground mining comparison, one is repeatedly confronted with the difficulty of dealing with so many variable conditions. Strip mining is ideally applied where the surface of the ground and the ore body itself ar e relatively horizontal and not too deep under the surfa ce, and a wide area is av ailable to be mined in. This process makes it possible for the local economy to start growing, which means there are. Openpit mining utilizes blasting and mineral removing, digger deeper into the earth causing a craterlike result. The life cycle of mining begins with exploration, continues through production, and ends with closure and postmining land use. What are the advantages and disadvantages of underground. The method to recover such materials is called strip mining, a form of surface mining where surface vegetation, soil and rocks are removed in strips and often times together with controlled explosions in order to make the removal process more efficient. Either selfpropelled or towed, it consists of a wagon with a gate having a bladed bottom. Strip mining can have unwanted effects on the natural ecosystem of the area where the mining is taking place.
How has phosphate mining in nauru led to an environmental. 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. In roomandpillar mines, columns of coal are left to support the ground above during the initial mining process. Our own experiences here in mindanao validate the report. This creates costs as well as environmental issues with waste rock disposal. Placer mining, ancient method of using water to excavate, transport, concentrate, and recover heavy minerals from alluvial or placer deposits. While underground mining, which allows coal companies to extract deeper deposits of coal, is viewed as less destructive than strip mining, the effects of mining widespread damage to the environment. The economic reality of free trade is that it is the total level of imports and exports that accurately reflects prosperity. While mining produces the resources needed for fuel, electronics, and other items as well as jobs. In south africa, the gold seam lies a long way underground, as far as 5km. The two industries ranked together as the primary or basic industries of early civilization. Open cut mining methods strip mining largescale open cut coal mining operations commenced in australia in mid 1960s and since then there has been significan t developments in this method of mining. Surface mining methods dominate the world production of minerals.
Surface mining, also called openpit mining or strip mining is undertaken if the. Open pit mining does offer some advantages over traditional deep shaft mining. The mining industry has the potential to disrupt ecosystems and wipe out wildlife populations in several different ways. New technologies can benefit the mining industry and consumers in all stages of this life cycle. Surface mining is often preferred to subsurface underground mining by mining companies for several reasons. Heres how mining affects the environment and wildlife.
It is not an exact science and in the choice of a method each varying factor has a certain weight, which, in many cases, experience alone can determine. Open pit mining or strip mining is an extraction process for ore or fossil fuels that takes place at the surface of a mining site. The disadvantages of mining include harm to air pollution, water pollution, loss of usable land, destruction of animal habitat, and harm to local communities and the miners themselves. Materials are recovered at a rate of up to 90 percent during strip mining, which is a much higher. Surface vegetation, soil, and rocks are removed in strips, often in conjunction with controlled explosions, to make removal more efficient. If youve got a shovel and mining rights, then you can strip mine right now.
Data mining california state university, northridge. Coal also requires mining to access, which can strip the planet of needed resources, put groundwater at risk, and add even more emissions to the atmosphere. High recovery rate other forms of mining do not guarantee the same rate of return as strip mining does. Surface mines offer advantages and disadvantages when compared to underground mining. The land owners, often tribal population, and contractual farmers living within the mining lease area are rehabilitated and compensated by cash, separate housing, employment, health care, education, and other facilities. Described as the method of comparing large volumes of data looking for more information from a data data mining is the process of analyzing data from different perspectives and summarizing it into useful information which can be used. Acquisition of large surface right for open pit mining. Strip mining is sensible when the ore body is near the surface. This prezi touches on what strip mining is and the various pros and cons of the process. This practice leaves the earth largely barren, infertile, and unable to sustain plant life. Effects of mining on the environment and wildlife pegasus. Scraper, in engineering, machine for moving earth over short distances up to about two miles over relatively smooth areas. Mining can lead to the destruction of habitats in surrounding areas. Surface mining, method of extracting minerals near the surface of the earth.
A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Overview of mining and its impacts environmental law alliance. Data mining technology is something that helps one person in their decision making and that decision making is a process wherein which all the factors of mining is involved precisely. What are the advantages and disadvantages of surface. Surface mining operations involve high levels of complexity and uncertainty that last for. Underground mining has the potential for tunnel collapses and land subsidence betournay, 2011. Regular and constant surface topography and coal layers not more than. It involves largescale movements of waste rock and vegetation, similar to open pit mining. Theres no need to develop groundbased infrastructure. Surface mining refers to a category of mining where soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed. Pit mining is more cost effective than shaft mining because more ore can be extracted and more quickly. Mining is an activity to take out precious natural resource to satisfy humans unending demand. Surface mining strip mining, open pit mining, mountain top removal. Compare and contrast the economic and environmental advantages and disadvantages of 3 types of surface mining and subsurface mining.
Despite the economic potential of the mining industry in ghana, mining output had decreased. Responsible surface mining attempts to limit the side effects of this removal through several basic steps. However, disadvantages when compared to underground mining also exist. Technologies of mining, mineral processing and metallurgical processes were. What are the advantages and disadvantages of mining answers. And while the involvement of these mining systems, one can come across several disadvantages of data mining and they are as follows. Material is often excavated during strip mining and the solvents used for this extraction leaks. Strip mining is a form of resource collection that involves dirt removal from a very large area to sift through it instead of working underground, a pit is created deep in the ground and all work is accomplished on the surface here are the pros and cons of strip mining to consider mining happens. Examples of deposits mined by means of this technique are the goldbearing sands and gravel that settle out from rapidly moving streams and rivers at points where the current slows down.
The financial and economic benefits that it provides to communities involved in the activity of coal mining. The mines are now operating at significantly higher annual tonnages, growing deeper, more complex and. Effects of mining on the environment and human health. Although both methods have their benefits and drawbacks, underground drilling may just be the cost worthy selection for you. Strip mining is a form of surface mining that is usually employed for the recovery of materials such as coal and tar sand, which are relatively near the surface of the earth. The first way in which proposed mining projects differ is the proposed method of moving or excavating the overburden. What follows are brief descriptions of the most common methods. In many cases, primary crushing is done down in the mine, so that the concentrated ore is only. All surface or strip mining first removes the overlying vegetation, soil and underground rock layers in order to expose and extract coal from an underground seam or coal deposit. An inclined shaft is therefore uneconomical to bring the ore to the surface. The three most common types of surface mining are openpit mining, strip mining, and quarrying. What are the advantages and disadvantages of surface mining. The particulates then fall on the surface, potentially contaminating it, in areas of high coal usage.
Environmental hazards are present during every step of the openpit mining process. The practice includes some of the largest machines on earth, removing long strips of overlying soil and rock and then removing coal deposits. While not all operations is this complex nor all have these problems, the butte case. How has phosphate mining in nauru led to an environmental catastrophe. Here are the pros and cons of strip mining to consider. Reading the mining in the philippines concerns and conflicts, fact finding mission to the philippines report, i deplore and lament with the prophets of old what is happening to our beloved land. Worldwide, 40 percent of mining occurs at the surface, according to greenpeace international.
All methods of surface mining will remove the waste material, or overburden, above the desired resource. Strip mining is ideally applied where the surface of the ground and the ore body itself ar e relatively horizontal and not too deep under the surfa ce. This report does not include downstream processing, such as smelting of. What is the advantage and disadvantage of surface mining. The working conditions are safer for the miners because there is no risk of cave in or toxic gas. There are several other industries dependent on mining, hence an. Mining happens from the first moment work begins with a strip mine. Subsurface mining is less disruptive to the environment that strip mining, however the danger to the miners is greater. Stripping equipment diggingdepth limitations or coalloading equipment height. Figures 1a and 1b show histograms of production sizes for metal mines operated during between 1988 and 1997 in the western world. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This activity is carried out extensively and has caused major imbalance in our ecology. Most of the phosphate in nauru has been extracted through strip mining, which is the removal of large layers of earth in order to reach the minerals underneath. The advantages and disadvantages of mining can be determined based on facts uncovered by scientists and by personal opinions.