Chapter 16 Mining and Mineral Resources

1. Chapter 16 Mining and Mineral Resources p. 410-427 16.1 Minerals and Mineral Resources 16.2 Mineral Exploration and Mining 16.3 Mining Regulations and mine Reclamation

2. Mining Today- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvFSqVbZWnE • Mining today is an international, multi-billion dollar business utilizing modern technologies and best practices for extraction and processing. In Canada alone there are now approximately 800 mining operations producing more than 60 minerals and metals. • Perhaps no other industry operates in as varied geographies and environments as mining. Many of these large multi-site complexes operate in remote territories, 365 days per year, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Utilizing both stationary and mobile heavy equipment, these subsurface and above ground mining operations typically involve a wide range of processing steps: from extraction, conveyance, crushing and grinding to feeding, screening, milling and refining. • http://www.acoustical-consultants.com/markets-requiring-acoustical-engineering/industrial-noise-and-vibration-control/mines-mills-smelters-environmental-assessment/

4. Key Terms • Mineral • Ore mineral • Subsurface mining • Placer deposit • Smelting • Subsidence • Reclamation

5. 16.1 Minerals and Mineral ResourcesKey Questions • Define the term mineral • Explain the difference between a metal and a nonmetal, and give two examples of each • Describe three processes by which minerals form • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQB4Hwi4O-M

6. What is a mineral? • Naturally occurring, usually inorganic solid that has a characteristics chemical composition, orderly internal structure, and a characteristic set of physical properties. • Made up of atoms of a single element or of compounds • The arrangement of the atoms, strength of the chemical bonds between them, determine the physical properties of minerals. What is gold and how is it produced? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM23MjclXVI

7. What is a mineral? • Examples: • Gold, silver copper are native elements • Most are compounds; quartz (made of silica, a cpd of 1 silicon atom and 2 oxygen atoms)

8. Ore Minerals • Minerals that are valuable and economical to extract • Contain elements that are economically valuable • Gangue (GANG) minerals- have no value need to be extracted from host rock • The price of the final product determined by the cost of the extraction and refining 2 types: Metallic and nonmetallic

9. Ore Minerals- Metallic Minerals • Metals that conduct electricity • Have shiny surfaces • Are opaque • Native elements • Examples: gold, silver, copper

10. Ore Minerals- Nonmetallic • Good insulators • Shiny or dull surfaces • Allow light to pass through • Native elements or compounds

11. How Do Ore Minerals Form? • Depends on the environment • Metallic- form below ground when magma cools and hardens, form early in cooling process and sink to the lower part of the magma body because they are more dense • Making it difficult to mine • Hydrothermal Solutions • Evaporites

12. Hydrothermal Solutions • Hot, subsurface waters that contain dissolved minerals • As water flows through the cracks in rocks, they dissolve minerals they come in contact with • New minerals crystallize out of these solutions and then fill fractures to form ore deposits called veins (ores formed in cracks of rocks) • We find many economically valuable deposits of metallic ores from this way • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3k7ITcKHAQ

14. Evaporites • As rivers and streams wash over land surfaces, they dissolve salts and carry them into the sea or inland latkes • When the water evaporates, deposits of the salts called evaporites are left behind • From in arid regions when rates of evaporation are high • Examples: halite (rock salt) and gypsym • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZTDF4RR6ew • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMPX4sPzFCY

15. Mineral Resources and Their Uses • Economic and industrial importance • Malleable • Conductors • Durability or resistant to corrosion • Alloys- 2 or more metals combined, tend to have more desirable properties • gypsum- construction, sheetrock, concrete • Industrial sand and gravel- glass, computer chips • Jewelry

16. 16.2 Mineral Exploration and Mining • Describe the manner in which mining companies explore for new mineral deposits • Describe 3 methods of subsurface mining • Define placer deposit, and explain how placer deposits form. • Describe the steps that take place in smelting an ore

17. 16.2 Mineral Exploration and Mining • New technologies changing the industry • Computers used to to make models to show location of ores • Using satellites or airplane to find ore deposits underground

18. ASTER satellite images (15m) of the Saline Valley area, California. Each image displays data from a different spectral region, and illustrates the complementary nature of surface compositional information available as a function of wavelength. The LEFT image displays visible and near infrared bands 3, 2, and 1 in red, green, and blue (RGB). Vegetation appears red, snow and dry salt lakes are white, and exposed rocks are brown, gray, yellow and blue. Rock colors mainly reflect the presence of iron minerals, and variations in albedo. The MIDDLE image displays short wavelength infrared bands 4, 6, and 8 as RGB. In this wavelength region, clay, carbonate, and sulfate minerals have diagnostic absorption features, resulting in distinct colors on the image. For example, limestones are yellow-green, and purple areas are kaolinite-rich. The RIGHT image displays thermal infrared bands 13, 12 and 10 as RGB. In this wavelength region, variations in quartz content appear as more or less red; carbonate rocks are green, and mafic volcanic rocks are purple. (Image credit: NASA/Japanese Space Team). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmGt2I-xeoA

19. Mineral Exploration Mineral deposit has 100 to 1000 times the concentration of the mineral than ordinary rocks rod and enough material to justify opening a mine • Exploration- first step in finding an ore deposit - use of satellite images and photographs creating geological maps of the surface • Analyze – determine ore grade or the metal contend of an ore • Test holes- if ore grade is high enough, will drill holes to to help estimate the 3D extent of the ore • Open the mine- only if the grade is high enough to to cover the cost of drilling

20. Types of Mining • Subsurface • Surface • Placer • Smelting • Undersea mining • Fracking

21. 1. Subsurface Mining • Ores that are 50m or more beneath the Earth’s surface • Used to extract coal and salt- room-and pillar mining (rooms are created and pillars are left until the room is completed mined, then the pillars will be removed starting at the back of the mine) • Longwall Mining • Solution Mining

22. 1. Subsurface Mining • Longwall- machine called a shearer moves back and forth across the face of a coal seam. The wall of the seam is called the longwall, can be more than 300m long. The coal is sheared from wall and drops into the conveyor. The use of hydraulic roof supports protect the miners and equipment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=649dZPCTD30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8PFw_OAfuA

23. 1. Subsurface Mining b. Solution- economical mining for soluble minerals ores like; potash, salt and sulfur. Hot water is injected into the ore and dissolves it. Compressed air is then pumped into the dissolved ore, and air bubbles lift it to the surface

24. 2. Surface mining • Ore deposits are located close to Earth’s surface • Open pit mining- used for large quantities near surface (gold and copper) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUDdYGnoIwU • Ore is mined downward, layer by layer • Use of explosives and haul trucks and then to leaching pads where chemicals are used to extract the ore • Surface coal mining • Quarrying • Solar evaporation

25. 2. Surface mining • Surface coal mining- used to use horse drawn plows to remove rocks or the overburden the area that covers the coal • First remove and set aside the soil for later use • Remove the overburden with machines, about 50m wide and over a kilometer long • Remove exposed coal • Refill the pit with overburden and soil http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns_mgeTM7WI

26. 2. Surface mining b. Quarrying- granite, limestone and Marble. Aggregates such as sand, gravel and crushed rock. As well as clay, gypsum and talc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ZkwK22hqI

27. 2. Surface mining c. Solar evaporation- salt removal- placing sea water into shallow ponds, collecting it after water evaporates. 30% of worlds salt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVNEjxcMMmY

28. 3. Placer Mining • Placer deposits- minerals are concentrated by wind and water into surface deposits • Rock weathers and disintegrates the minerals are released and collect into water • Stream placers- most important, found in bends of rivers where current is not strong enough to carry the deposits. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65x89BNljpc • Can form along coastlines that are concentrated by waves (heavy minerals) • Dredging- gold and diamonds, floating barge and buckets on conveyor are used to excavate the sediment • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB-dfM9bvuk

30. 4. Smelting • Crushed ore is melted at high temperatures in furnaces to separate impurities from molten metal • In the furnace, flux bonds with impurities and separates them from the molten metal • The desired molten metal falls to the bottom of the furnace and then recovered • The flux and impurities are less dense and form layer called slage on top of molten metal • Sulfur dioxide gases is also produced and collected (does not get released into environment) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6uFAv9L734

31. 5. Undersea mining • Diamonds, gold, silver, mineral ores, sand and gravel can be found in the bottom of the ocean. • Companies have tired to mine since 1950’s varying degree of success • Too expensive and largely unsuccessful to date • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bjin3vB0csk

32. 6. Fracking • Hydraulic fracturing is the propagation of fractures in a rock layer, by a pressurized fluid. Some hydraulic fractures form naturally—certain veins or dikes are examples—and can create conduits along which gas and petroleum from source rocks may migrate to reservoir rocks. • Induced hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracturing, commonly known as fracing, fraccing, or fracking, is a technique used to release petroleum, natural gas (including shale gas, tight gas, and coal seam gas), or other substances for extraction. • This type of fracturing creates fractures from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. • The first use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947 but the modern fracturing technique, called horizontal slickwater fracturing, that made the extraction of shale gas economical was first used in 1998 in the Barnett Shale in Texas. • The energy from the injection of a highly pressurized hydraulic fracturing fluid creates new channels in the rock, which can increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of hydrocarbons. • http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/4/is_fracking_safe_debate_on_controversial • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY34PQUiwOQ • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEB_Wwe-uBM

34. 16.3 Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation • Describe 7 important potential environmental consequences of mining • Name 4 federal laws that relate to mining and reclaiming mined land • Define the term reclamation • Describe 2 ways in which state governments regulate mining

35. Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation • Due to the impact to the environment mining has become the most regulated industries in the US • Companies must reclaim the land or return it to its original condition after mining is completed • Plan must be in place prior to mining • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zEAicSEBME

36. The Environmental Impacts of Mining Spending billions to clean up abandoned mines • Air and noise pollution • Water contamination • Displacement of wildlife • Erosion and sedimentation • Soil degradation • Subsidence • Underground mine fires http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxF9l6bedZU

37. 1. Air and Noise Pollution • Surface mines create noise and air pollution • Most surface mines are not located near urban populations • Regulations in the US forbid mining operations to allow dust or noise to exit that are that is being mined

38. 2. Water Contamination • Can pick up dissolved toxic substances (arsenic), can seep into streams and kill the aquatic life • Acid mine drainage, AMD- byproduct of mining coal, sulfur mixes with water to for sulfuric acid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4qVUR9avAU

39. 3. Displacement of Wildlife • By removing the top layer of soil you also remove the plant life • Animals will then move to different areas • After land is returned new species of plants and animals may establish themselves creating a new ecosystem • Dredging can change the bottoms of aquatic ecosystems

40. 4. Erosion and Sedimentation • Excess rocks are dumped into large piles called dumps • Rain water will erode unprotected dumps and transfers the sediments to new locations • Can impact water systems (fill)

41. 5. Soil Degradation • Making sure that you do not mix the layers to cause depletion of the soil • Can expose other elements like sulfur and can mix with water and oxygen causing the soil to be acidic making it difficult for plant life to grow

42. 6. Subsidencehttp://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbcnews.com/50027029#50027029http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF3ncFY_sYo • Sinking of regions of the ground with little or no horizontal movement, sink holes • Created due to mines that collapse • Do not know where many abandoned mines are located

43. 7. Underground Mine Fires • Fires that start underground at coal seams • Most serious environmental consequence • Difficult to put out and are often just left to burn out on their own • Smoke and gasses can cause respiratory problems • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdPKI0IZ3Jo

44. Mining Regulating and Reclamation • Regulated by federal and state laws • Clean Eater Act and Safe Drinking Water Act • Comprehensive Response Compensation and Liability Act- regulates the release of hazardous substances into the air, soil, and water by mining. • Endangered species act • Surface Mining Controls and Reclamation Act of 1977- sets standards to minimize the surface effects of coal mining on the environment.Reclamation- return land to original state or better

45. State Regulation of Mining • Regulated on state and private lands • Must have a permit from state before you can mine; must have mine design and reclamation • Bond forfeiture program- must post funds in a form of a bond before mining can begin; if mining not done per the permit/ reclamation must give money to the state; state uses the money then to reclaim the site • State will also monitor the site and apply fines if not following ordnance

46. Marcellus Shale, PA • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5QqidiEEHw&list=PL062539BFB8A2B2D4&index=1 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kbA2LM61KE