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MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA. LITHOSPHERE. South A frica is rich in minerals. Precious as well as base metals are mined in SA. Precious metals : metals with a high monetary value ; relatively rare e.g. gold , silver and platinum.
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MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA LITHOSPHERE
SouthAfrica is rich in minerals • Precious as wellas base metals are mined in SA. • Preciousmetals: metalswithahighmonetaryvalue; relatively rare e.g. gold, silver and platinum. • Base metals: not as expensiveor rare e.g. copper, lead, iron, zinc and tin. • Non-metals e.g. coal and asbestos are also mined.
Mining in SA https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=FHIsa550plM
Whydoes SA have so many different types of minerals in abundance? • ScientiststhinkthattheLate Bombardmenttookplaceabout3 900 millions of yearsago. Manyhugebodies (meteorites etc.) hittheearth. • Meteoritescontainmetalssuch as gold and platinum, and thereforeincreasedtheamounts of thesemetalsonearth. • Diamondswereformedundergreatpressureduringtheformation of thecontinents.
Mineralores • Minerals are mined as ore, rockcontainingenough of acertainmineralto make itcommerciallyvaluable. Gold – reef gold Copper ore Iron ore
Miningmethods • Some mines are open mines e.g. some coalmines in SA. The Big Hole at Kimberley was an open pit diamond mine. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gzt-45ePI7w Open copper mine atPalaborwa
Kimberley • Thehistory of mining in South Africa is closelyboundtothediamondminesat Kimberley. • Didyouknowthat Kimberley was thefirsttown in SA tohaveelectricstreetlamps?
Undergroundmining • Ifthemineral is burieddeepunderground, thenminershavetogounderground. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk-jrbCi7Sc&feature=player_detailpage
Iron ore and mining for iron Sishen is one of ourbiggestiron ore mines. Crushed ore is taken by trainto Saldanha tobeexported and thenturnedto steel. • Iron ore is blastedfrom open mine and • thenbroughttosurface by hugetrucks. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAa979cdiT0&feature=player_detailpage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6BIyQJZdTg&feature=player_detailpagehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6BIyQJZdTg&feature=player_detailpage
Diamond mining Diamonds are pure carbonwithacrystalstructure. Diamonds are found in rockknown as Kimberlitepipes. Diamondscanhavecolours, duetootherelementsfoundinside. Diamonds are also madeartificiallytobeused in industrialprocesses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=M8gE40tmhG8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-y35seGFVqA