Vocab Quiz Mining and Mineral Resources

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ores

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Concentrated accumulations of minerals from which economically valuable materials can be extracted.

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low grade ore

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Ore that contains a smaller amount of the desired mineral and requires large energy input to separate valuable material from tailings.

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surface mining

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The extraction of mineral and energy resources near Earth's surface by first removing the soil, subsoil, and overlying rock (overburden).

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subsurface mining

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The extraction of mineral and energy resources from deep underground deposits by digging vertical shafts and tunnels to reach concentrated deposits

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strip mining

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The removal of strips of large layers of soil, overlying vegetation, and rock to expose shallow resources near the surface.

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mine tailings

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Non-valuable rock material separated from the desired resource being mined, often used to fill in the hole left by mining.

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slag

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Stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore; more specific tailings from the process of mining metal.

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mountaintop removal

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A mining technique in which the entire top of a mountain is removed with explosives, causing significant damage to lower habitats and water sources.

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mine reclamation

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The process of restoring land that has been mined to a natural or economically usable state, involving reshaping land to original contours and replanting native species.

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acid mine drainage

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Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dangerous dissolved materials like lead, arsenic, and cadmium wash from coal and metal mines into nearby lakes and streams, forming highly acidic water.