When was strip mining invented?
In the 1960s, mining companies began to bulldoze and dynamite hillsides to reach coal veins without digging. This form of strip-mining, called contour mining, caused more visible damage than traditional deep mining, leaving mountains permanently gouged and, sometimes, farmland destroyed.
What is found in strip mining?
Strip mining is the practice of mining a seam of mineral, by first removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock (the overburden); this activity is also referred to as overburden removal. It is most commonly used to mine coal and lignite (brown coal). There are two forms of strip mining.
Where is strip mining most common?
Strip mining has occurred mainly in the Appalachian Mountains and adjacent areas, the Central Plains from Indiana and Illinois through Oklahoma, and new mines for subbituminous coal in North Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.
Why is strip mining bad?
Surface mining (another name for “strip mining”) can severely erode the soil or reduce its fertility; pollute waters or drain underground water reserves; scar or altar the landscape; damage roads, homes, and other structures; and destroy wildlife.
How deep is a strip mine?
Terraced excavations usually 10–30 m deep with deposit dipped at 8°; some internal storage of overburden (Fig. 2.1C). 1.2. Strip-mining disturbance.
What level should you strip mine for diamonds?
Strip mining: to strip mine, you will want to dig down to around the twelfth level from the bottom, and then dig in a straight line.
Why is room and pillar mining bad?
In room-and-pillar mines, columns of coal are left to support the ground above during the initial mining process, then they are often taken out and the mine is left to collapse, which is known as subsidence. It is these effects of mining that nobody sees but are the most troubling of all.
Which are two main techniques of mining?
Primarily, there are two types of mining methods being used for the extraction of minerals and ores – surface/opencast mining and underground mining.
What are the pros and cons of strip mining?
The technique is somewhat controversial, with pros such as improved efficiency, cost, and safety and cons including the destruction of the natural ecosystem and potential for environmental pollutants. Proponents of strip mining cite its better efficiency, cost, and safety as compared with traditional underground mining techniques.
What are the environmental impacts of strip mining?
Strip mining can be damaging to forests, wildlife habitats, and the surrounding environments at large. Strip mining causes soil erosion, and this loose soil can cause water pollution when wind and rain move it into surrounding rivers, streams, lakes, and other waterways.
What is a strip mining?
Strip Mining. Definition – What does Strip Mining mean? Strip mining is a mineral-extraction process in which a layer or seam of undesired material (called “ overburden ”) is removed from the surface of an area to allow efficient access to a desired material existing underneath the layer being stripped.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of surface mining?
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