What do surface miners do?

Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit (the overburden) are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through …

What do you mean by surface mining?

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. See also mining and coal mining.

How is surface mining done?

Surface mining is a process whereby soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed. There are two principle types of surface mining, strip mining and open-pit mining (see Fig. 8.8). Strip mining is the process of mining a seam of mineral by removing a long strip of overlying soil and rock.

How does surface mining affect the environment?

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.

Why is underground mining better than surface mining?

Underground mining is practical when: The ore body is too deep to mine profitably by open pit. The grades or quality of the orebody are high enough to cover costs. Underground mining has a lower ground footprint than open pit mining.

Why do we need surface mining?

Why Choose Surface Mining? Surface mining is often the preference for mining companies. This is because removing the terrain surface, or overburden, to access the mineral beneath is often more cost-effective than gouging tunnels and subterranean shafts to access minerals underground.

Does surface mining use explosives?

Surface mines in the coal and metal/nonmetal sectors rely extensively on explosives to uncover mineral deposits. The mining industry considers blasting an essential component for the success of their operations.

Why is mining not allowed in Antarctica?

Mining in Antarctica would be very difficult, dangerous and expensive as the climate is so harsh, the ice is very thick and Antarctica is very remote from major centres of population. This would make the transportation of minerals and equipment in and out of Antarctica hazardous.

How cold is the Antarctica?

By far the coldest continent, Antarctica has winter temperatures that range from −128.6 °F (−89.2 °C), the world’s lowest recorded temperature, measured at Vostok Station (Russia) on July 21, 1983, on the high inland ice sheet to −76 °F (−60 °C) near sea level.

How does Antarctica make money?

Fishing is now an established part of the economic exploitation of the waters around the Antarctic. Regulated through CCAMLR it is an industry always looking for new species and markets. With many of the other world fisheries heavily over-exploited the pressure on the Southern Ocean fisheries can only increase.

How do animals living in Antarctica survive the cold?

Whales, seals and some penguins have thick fat layers. These fat layers act like insulation, trapping body heat in. This is a little like wrapping yourself in a blanket, but on the inside. In some animals this is even further refined, with the animals selectively able to reduce blood flow to the blubber layers.

How do deer not freeze to death?

A deer’s winter coat has hollow guard hairs over a furry undercoat that helps keep its body heat inside. Deer are so insulated that their body heat doesn’t even escape enough to melt the snow on their backs, so they don’t feel the cold from the snow.

Who owns the Antarctic?

Seven countries (Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom) maintain territorial claims in Antarctica, but the United States and most other countries do not recognize those claims. While the United States maintains a basis to claim territory in Antarctica, it has not made a claim.

Who Discovered Antarctica?

The race to find Antarctica sparked competition to locate the South Pole—and stoked another rivalry. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen found it on December 14, 1911. Just over a month later, Robert Falcon Scott found it, too. He turned back with disastrous results.

What is hidden beneath Antarctica?

Scientists have discovered two new lakes buried deep beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. These hidden gems of frigid water are part of a vast network of ever-changing lakes hidden beneath 1.2 to 2.5 miles (2 to 4 kilometers) of ice on the southernmost continent.

What flag is Antarctica?

There is no official flag of Antarctica since it is not a country nor governed by any authority.

Who spotted Antarctica?

Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen

The first confirmed sighting of mainland Antarctica, on 27 January 1820, is attributed to the Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, discovering an ice shelf at Princess Martha Coast that later became known as the Fimbul Ice Shelf.

What will happen if all the ice in Antarctica melts?

If all the ice covering Antarctica , Greenland, and in mountain glaciers around the world were to melt, sea level would rise about 70 meters (230 feet). The ocean would cover all the coastal cities. And land area would shrink significantly. But many cities, such as Denver, would survive.

Does anyone live Antarctica?

Antarctica is the only continent with no permanent human habitation. There are, however, permanent human settlements, where scientists and support staff live for part of the year on a rotating basis. The continent of Antarctica makes up most of the Antarctic region.

Did humans ever live in Antarctica?

Home > Blog > Do people live in Antarctica? Antarctica is known for being the highest, driest, coldest and windiest continent on earth. So perhaps it won’t come as a surprise to hear that Antarctica is also the only continent without an indigenous human population.

Did Antarctica used to be a jungle?

Today, the South Pole records average winter temperatures of 78 degrees Fahrenheit below zero. But roughly 90 million years ago, the fossils suggest, Antarctica was as warm as Italy and covered by a green expanse of rainforest.

Are there trees in Antarctica?

Also in Antarctic wildlife

There are no trees or shrubs, and only two species of flowering plants are found: Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia antarctica) and Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus quitensis). These occur on the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands and along the western Antarctic Peninsula.

What language is spoken in Antarctica?

The most commonly spoken language of Antarctica is Russian, which happens to be the official language of Bellingsgauzenia, New Devon, and Ognia. English is also one of the most widespread languages spoken. You can find English spoken in the Balleny Islands, New South Greenland, Eduarda, etc.

Is there WIFI in Antarctica?

Yes, however internet access is limited at each USAP site. The satellite infrastructure used to provide off-continent communications in Antarctica is limited.
Vessels.

Has Antarctica been explored?

Antarctica is the only continent that was literally discovered, because it has no native human population. British explorer Sir James Cook circumnavigated the continent in 1772-1775, but saw only some outlying islands.