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The Formation, Mining, and Use of Minerals

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If you wanted to find a mineral, where do you think you would look? Minerals form in a variety of environments in the Earths crust. Each of these environments has a different set of physical and chemical conditions. Therefore, the environment in which a mineral forms determines the minerals properties.

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Environments in which minerals form may be on or near the Earths surface or deep beneath the Earths surface.

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Many kinds of rocks and minerals must be mined to extract the valuable elements they contain.

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Ore*: a natural material whose concentration of economically valuable minerals is high enough for the material to be mined profitably.

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Rocks and minerals are removed from the ground by one of two methods. Surface Mining Subsurface Mining

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Surface Mining: When mineral deposits are located at or near the surface of the Earth, surface-mining methods are used to remove the minerals. Ex.: open pits, surface coal mines, and quarries.

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Open Pit Mining: Used to remove large, near-surface deposits such as gold and copper. Explosives are often used to break up the ore.

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Quarries: Open pits that are used to mine building stone, crushed rock, sand and gravel.

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Surface Coal Mining: Coal that is near the surface is removed by this method.

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Subsurface Mining: This method is used when mineral deposits are located too deep within Earth to be surface mined. Passageways are required to be dug into the Earth to reach the ore.

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These passageways may be dug horizontally or at an angle. If a mineral deposit extends deep within the Earth, a vertical shaft is used.

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Subsurface Mining:

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Responsible mining: Mining gives us the minerals we need, but it may also create problems. Mining can destroy or disturb the habitats of plants and animals. Also, the waste products from a mine may get into water sources, which pollutes surface water and groundwater.

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Mine Reclamation: One way to reduce the potential harmful effects of mining is to return the land to its original state after the mining is completed. This process by which land used for mining is returned to its original state or better is called reclamation.

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Some minerals mined are metallic. The properties of these minerals make them desirable for use in aircrafts, automobiles, computers, communications, electronic equipment, and spacecraft's. Ex. Gold, silver, and copper

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Other minerals are nonmetals. Nonmetallic minerals are some of the most widely used minerals in industry. Calcite is a major component of concrete. Industrial sand and gravel, or silica, have uses that range from glassmaking to producing computer chips.

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Some nonmetallic minerals, called gemstones, are highly valued for their beauty and rarity. Some of these gemstones include diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and topaz.