What is contour strip mining used for?
Contour mining allows for the extraction of coal from mountainous areas, where it is not feasible to extract the entire seam, using mountain top removal mining. Contour mining allows for the partial removal of the coal seam at the elevation of the coal seam.
Why is contour strip mining bad?
Contour mining makes cuts on the slope where the coal seam is located, to remove first the overburden and then the coal itself. Overburden from adjacent cuts is used to fill previous cuts. The operator continues making cuts until the ratio of overburden to coal becomes uneconomical.
What does Strip mean in mining?
Definition of strip mine : a mine that is worked from the earth's surface by the stripping of overburden especially : a coal mine situated along the outcrop of a flat dipping bed.
Are contour strips surface mining?
Contour strip mining (a method of surface mining)—that is, mining along the contour of a mountain ridge—began with steam technology in the early 20th century (Montrie 2003: 21).
How is strip mining performed?
Strip mining is the process of removing a thin strip of overburden (earth or soil) above a desired deposit, dumping the removed overburden behind the deposit, extracting the desired deposit, creating a second, parallel strip in the same manner, and depositing the waste materials from that second (new) strip onto the …
What are the 4 types of mining?
There are four main mining methods: underground, open surface (pit), placer, and in-situ mining. Underground mines are more expensive and are often used to reach deeper deposits.
What are the advantages and disadvantages 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. Strip mining is considered very harmful to the environment.
Is strip mining safe for the environment?
Strip mining destroys landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats at the site of the mine when trees, plants, and topsoil are cleared from the mining area. This in turn leads to soil erosion and destruction of agricultural land. When rain washes the loosened top soil into streams, sediments pollute waterways.
What causes strip mining?
Strip mining In many cases, mountains are literally blasted apart to reach thin coal seams within, leaving permanent scars on the landscape as a result.
What is strip coal mining?
Strip mining is a type of surface mining where the overlying vegetation, rock, and soil (overburden) is removed in order to reach the underlying coal seam, which usually lies a few feet beneath the surface.
What are the 3 types of mining?
Open-pit, underwater, and underground mining. These are the three main methods of mining we use to extract our products from the ground. In this Digging Deeper article, we take a look at these different methods and provide a glimpse into what each involves.
Why does strip mining occur?
Strip mining is employed in coal reserves where the overburden is removed in rectangular blocks in plan view called pits or strips. The pits are parallel and adjacent to each other. Strip mining is fundamentally different from contour or area mining on how the overburden is displaced, called spoil handling.
What are the 2 main types of mining?
The two major categories of modern mining include surface mining and underground mining. In surface mining, the ground is blasted so that ores near Earth's surface can be removed and carried to refineries to extract the minerals.
What are the 3 types of mining methods?
Open-pit, underwater, and underground mining. These are the three main methods of mining we use to extract our products from the ground. In this Digging Deeper article, we take a look at these different methods and provide a glimpse into what each involves.
What are the differences between subsurface mining and strip mining?
Strip mining is done on the surface; underground mining is done below the surface.
Is strip mining surface or subsurface?
surface mining, method of extracting minerals near the surface of the Earth. The three most common types of surface mining are open-pit mining, strip mining, and quarrying.
What are the issues with strip mining?
Strip mining destroys landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats at the site of the mine when trees, plants, and topsoil are cleared from the mining area. This in turn leads to soil erosion and destruction of agricultural land. When rain washes the loosened top soil into streams, sediments pollute waterways.
What minerals are mined in strip mining?
Strip mining It is most commonly used to mine coal and lignite (brown coal). Strip mining is only practical when the ore body to be excavated is relatively near the surface and/or is mostly horizontal.
What is strip mining and how does it work?
Strip mining is the process of removing a thin strip of overburden (earth or soil) above a desired deposit, dumping the removed overburden behind the deposit, extracting the desired deposit, creating a second, parallel strip in the same manner, and depositing the waste materials from that second (new) strip onto the …
What materials are strip mined?
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).
What are the 4 main types of mining?
The American Geosciences web site defines four main mining methods: underground, open surface (pit), placer, and in-situ mining.
What are the 6 types of mining?
These include strip mining, open-pit mining, mountaintop removal, dredging and highwall mining.
- Why Choose Surface Mining? Surface mining is often the preference for mining companies. …
- Strip Mining. …
- Open-Pit Mining. …
- Mountaintop Removal. …
- Dredging. …
- Highwall Mining.
What are 3 types of mines?
Open-pit, underwater, and underground mining. These are the three main methods of mining we use to extract our products from the ground.
How is strip mining done?
In strip mining, the overburden is mined and moved by the same equipment: draglines or continuous excavators. The movement of overburden in strip mining is called the casting process. The operating sequence for each pit includes drilling and blasting, followed by overburden casting, then coal removal.