This type of mining involves moving HUGE amounts of Earth to access ore.

• surface mining

• underground mining

A natural resource that can only be replaced only through geological, physical, and chemical processes that take millions of years.

• Renewable Resource

• Nonrenewable Resource

This form of mining uses tunnels and shafts to bring ore to the surface.

• surface mining

• underground mining

Smelting is when the mineral being mined is 

• isolated
• heated or reacted with chemicals
• reclaimed
• left in tailings

Removal of large layers of rock and soil to get ore near the surface.

• surface mining

• underground mining

• smelting

• reclamation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Large holes are dug into the ground to get to resources deep below the surface.

• underground mining

• surface mining

• strip mining

• reclamation

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Naturally occurring solid material from which a mineral can be profitably extracted.

• ore

• slag

• overburden

• tailings

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Excess soil and rock that is removed to get to ore; can contain acidic rock.

• overburden

• slag

• tailings

• mineral

Watery slurry produced when minerals are separated from ore. typically stored in artificial ponds.

• tailings

• mine water

• slag

• smelt

Process that removes impurities from a metal; produces the wastes that end in tailings.

• smelting

• reclamation

• surface mining

• underground mining