MINING Flashcards
concentration of a mineral
that is of scientific or technical interest
Mineral Occurrence
mineral occurrence of sufficient
size and grade or concentration to enable extraction
under the most favorable conditions
Mineral Deposit
mineral deposit that has been tested
and known to be economically profitable to mine.
Ore Deposit
Factors which determine if a
mineral is of economic value:
➢ interest in the mineral
➢ size of the deposit
➢ mineral concentration
➢ mineral depth below the surface
➢ market value.
Mineral deposits can be classified on the basis of the mechanism
responsible for concentrating the valuable substance.
Examples Include:
1) Magmatic Mineral Deposits
2) Hydrothermal Mineral Deposits
3) Sedimentary Mineral Deposits
4) Placer Mineral Deposits
5) Metamorphic Deposits
- Formed during crystallization of a magma.
- Host rock can range from ultramafic to felsic.
Magmatic Ore Deposits
There are three primary means of concentrating minerals:
a. gravitational settling
b. differentiation
c. immiscible separations
As minerals crystallize from a
magma body, heavy minerals
may sink to the bottom of the
magma chamber and others
may form on the sides of the
magma chamber.
gravitational settling
Causes a concentrating effect resulting in a concentration of
selected elements in the residual magma. These elements
are the ones which did not fit well inside of common rock
forming minerals. Instead they become included in the final
liquid present, which forms pegmatite.
differentiation
Physical separation of a portion of a
magma.
immiscible separations
These deposits often form as a result of chemical weathering in
warm tropical climates that receive high temperatures and high
amounts of rainfall which produces highly leached soils rich in
both iron and aluminium. Chemical weathering tends to remove
the soluble materials, leaving the less soluble residues.
Secondary Enrichment
Two common mineral deposits formed in Secondary Enrichment
iron-rich Limonite and aluminium-rich Bauxite.
Refers to a set of
processes in which useful
resources are withdrawn
from a stock of any non-
renewable resource.
Mining
Two Main Methods of Mining
Surface Mining
Underground Mining
-Utilized to extract ore minerals that are close to Earth’s surface.
Surface Mining
