Minerals and Mining in South Africa Flashcards
what is a non-renewable resource
Something that we can only use once
how old are most rocks
Millions of years old
what is ore
Rock that contains large amounts of minerals
What are some of South Africa’s most important minerals (7)
Gold, Copper, Platinum, Manganese, Chrome, Diamonds, Iron
What is gold used for
jewelry and dentistry
What is platinum used for
jewelry, car industry, electrical industries
What is chrome used for
Making other metals, making shiny parts of machines
What is iron used for
Construction, car industry, making machines, making other metals
What are diamonds used for
jewelry, cutting machines
What is manganese used for
batteries, cans, making other metals
What is copper used for
pipes, electrical wires, jewelry
What is coal
Rock made from the remains of plants that died millions of years ago
How much coal is there in the world
Enough to last 100 years
Explain in 3 points how coal is formed
- Millions of years ago thick forests grew in wet areas called swamps. Each year some trees died and fell into the swamps.
- The swamps filled up with dead trees, rivers washed sand and soil into the swamps, and so the trees were buried under the sand and soil.
- more rocks and sand piled up on the old swamps. All the water was squeezed out. And slowly all the buried sand, soil, and dead trees were squashed into different rocks. The trees became coal.
What is the main use of coal in SA
Used as fuel to make electricity
what else is coal used for
Used to make petrol and other oils we can burn. Also used to make steel, tar for roads, concrete, plastic and paper, soap, shampoo, foods, medicine.
What is mining
The process of digging rocks out of the ground
What are the 2 main ways of mining
- Open-pit (surface)
- Shaft (deep level)
Why is open-pit mining done
When minerals are found near the surface
Where is the biggest open-pit mine in SA
Kimberly, Northern Cape
How deep is the Big Hole
12 km
how many miners dug the Big Hole, and how long did it take them
50 000 miners, took them over 100 years
By which year were all the diamonds found
1914
What is a shaft
A hole that goes deep into the ground
What is needed in order for people to work in shaft mines
Ventilation
Define ventilation
A way to push cooled, fresh are into small spaces such as mines
Define a lift
a lifting machine that transports miners and rocks into a mine shaft
What is the environment
Everything around us, including water, air, soil, people, plants, and animals
List 5 ways that mining damages the environment
- The animals that live in the soil and plants lose their homes or die because their source of food is destroyed.
- Miners use machines that remove large areas of soil and vegetation
- valuable farmland and forests may be turned into open-pit mines
- mining creates lots of dust which gets into the air - people breathe this dust in and it is unhealthy (silicosis)
- Water mixes chemicals that come out of the broken rocks. These chemicals turn the water into an acid. Acid mine water can get into rivers and underground water supplies.
What do Laws require of open-pit mines
They require that open-pit mine owners rebuild the land once they have mined. They are supposed to save the soil and replant the same vegetation
What do laws require about mines waste
That they need to be more careful with waste disposal, an example of this is in the Free State and Gauteng where they are burying the waste material in old shafts and tunnels
How deep are some of SA’s mine shafts
Almost 4km deep
List 6 bad working conditions of the shaft mines
- Temperatures at the bottom of the mines can reach 50 degrees Celsius (air is cooled and pumped down the mine)
- the weight of the rocks cause rock falls
- the rocks may contain poisonous gases
- Gases can catch on fire and explode
- Miners use explosives to breaks up rocks.
- mines are full of dust
What is Silicosis
A disease which attacks peoples lungs and makes it difficult to breathe
What causes Silicosis
caused by breathing air that contains a lot of dust
What rules do miners have to follow to protect themselves
- Wear a helmet, boots, gloves, overalls
- Work in at least groups of two
- Wear masks when working in thick dust
- Report machines that are not working properly
- follow the team leaders instructions
What must miners not do
- Take matches into the mines
- Do not do jobs that they are not trained to do
- Work alone or in restricted areas
