Science Unit 4 Lesson 3

Question 1

What are the 2 main types of mining?

Answer 1

Surface mining and underground mining

Question 2

What is surface mining?

Answer 2

Surface mining is the practice of stripping layers of the earth to reach ore deposits underneath

Question 3

What is underground mining?

Answer 3

The practice of drilling deep below the earth’s surface to extract ores

Question 4

What does surface mining involve?

Answer 4

Surface mining involves stripping surface vegetation, dirt, bedrock and other layers of the earth to reach ore deposits underneath.

Question 5

What does underground mining involve?

Answer 5

Underground mining, or deep mining, involves drilling deep below the surface to extract ores.

Question 6

In some unground mining sites, what causes nearby water sources to decrease?

Answer 6

In the 1800s, the first coal mining in Ansted was done in underground mines deep within Earth. This occurred beneath the water table. Water flowed into the mine and had to be pumped out. As the water was pumped out of the mine, the water table was lowered. This caused the water supply of nearby streams to decrease.

Question 7

Why is underground mining unsafe?

Answer 7

Underground mining can be very unsafe. If there is not enough oxygen, or explosive gases are released, lives are in danger

Question 8

In the Virginia mine, what happened after all the coal had been extracted? And what did it lead to?

Answer 8

The mine collpased this created a depression in the land and caused sinkholes.

Question 9

Surface mining gradually replaced under ground mining during the 1990’s why was that/Why did people switch to surface mining?

Answer 9

It was cheaper, safer for people, and more efficient

Question 10

What does surface mining do to the land eviroment and the habitats on the land?

Answer 10

Before the area was mined for coal, large areas of land were completely cleared of all trees and topsoil. The habitats of animals were eliminated. Removal of topsoil caused soil erosion and landslides.

Question 11

Why was surface mining bad to the atmosphere?

Answer 11

As workers dug to retrieve the coal, particulates were released, causing air pollution

Question 12

What is underground mining doing to nearby water sources?

Answer 12

Harsh chemicals were used to extract the precious resource underground. These chemicals contaminated the groundwater as well as local streams and creeks. The contamination extended miles from the mining site, affecting wildlife and polluting drinking water.

Question 13

Today, for every ____of coal that is mined, ____of earth have been removed.

Answer 13

1 ton; 16 tons

Question 14

What are the enviromental impacts of surface mining?

Answer 14

soil erosin and possible landslides
.land degradation

Question 15

What are the enviromental impacts of underground mining?

Answer 15

.Depression of land and sinkholes
.lowered water table

Question 16

What are the enviromental impacts of both mining forms.

Answer 16

.Water pollution
.deforestation and destruction of animals’ habitats

Question 17

What are the 2 common types of surface mining?

Answer 17

open-pit and moutain top removal.

Question 18

What is the definition overburden?

Answer 18

The rock or soil that needs to be removed to expose seams of ore

Question 19

What happens to overburden in surface mining?

Answer 19

Sometimes this is dumped downhill from the mine itself, further destroying land ecosystems. The overburden may also be dumped on areas or strips that have already been mined.

Question 20

Releasing the overburden into the environment often has severely negative effects on water, what are a few?

Answer 20

Releasing the overburden into the environment often has severely negative effects on water. Local waterways suffer from the impact of increased sediment runoff. In many cases, contaminants like acids or heavy metals leach from the overburden into groundwater or become part of runoff into local waterways. In some cases of mountaintop removal mining, all of the removed material fills nearby valleys, completely clogging small creeks and streams.