Mining

The Basics

The mining process is used to separate rock or ore from surrounding rock. There are four main mining methods: underground, open surface (pit), placer, and in-situ mining. The method used depends on the type of mineral resource that is mined, its location beneath the surface, and whether the resource is worth enough money to justify extracting it. The potential environmental impacts of mining depend on the resource being mined, how it is mined, and local factors like climate. In the United States, these impacts are now closely regulated, and mine areas are often reclaimed for another purpose after mining is over.

Why does mining matter?

Mining is essential to provide the 38,000 lbs of mineral resources per person per year that we use in the United States.^[1] Mineral resources are integral to the roads, vehicles, buildings, technologies, and personal products we rely on every day. Mining also produces a large proportion of the fuels that power and transport our society.

How does geoscience inform decisions about mining?

Geoscientists determine how to mine mineral resources economically, help to protect water and minimize environmental damages around the mine, and help reclaim disturbed land after mining.

References

¹ How many pounds of minerals are needed for each person in the U.S. per year?, AGI Critical Issues Program

Learn More

Introductory Resources

• <Metal Mining and the Environment, American Geosciences Institute
  Provides basic information about the mining cycle, from exploration for economic mineral deposits to mine closure. The booklet discusses the environmental aspects of metal mining and illustrates the ways science and technology assist in preventing or reducing environmental impacts.

Resources for Educators

• Education GeoSource Network (EGS), AGI
  Search for mining resources related to professional resources, curricula & instruction, teaching media, outreach programs, and other EGS collections.

• NGSS Performance Expectations, Next Generation Science Standards
  K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 4-ESS3-1, 5-ESS3-1, MS-ESS3-1, MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-1, HS-ESS3-2, HS-ESS3-3, HS-ESS3-4

• NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas, Next Generation Science Standards
  ESS3.A, ESS3.C

Critical Minerals

Critical minerals are those that are essential to the economy and whose supply may be disrupted. Critical minerals also tend to be those on which a country is heavily import-reliant, so the minerals that are deemed critical will vary from country to country. Demand for many of these minerals has skyrocketed in recent years with the spread of high-tech devices that use a wide variety of materials.

Industrial Minerals

Industrial minerals are non-metals including crushed rock, sand, and gravel. They are essential for construction of buildings and highways, and are used in many household products and industrial processes.

Metals

Metals are found in many different places around the world. Many natural Earth processes affect their distribution and abundance. Metals are essential to our economy and lifestyle, and the global demand for metals continues to rise.

Mineral Resources

Global demand is rising for mineral resources of all kinds, including metals, industrial minerals, and solid fuels like coal. Mineral resources are unequally distributed around the globe, reflecting the vast differences in geology of different parts of the Earth. Geoscientists play an essential role in locating mineral resources and designing processes for their safe extraction.