What is open-pit mining:

Open-pit mining (also called open-cast mining or open-cut mining) is a surface mining method used to extract minerals or rocks found near the Earth’s surface. It involves digging a large hole or pit in the ground to remove the desired materials.

How It Works:

• Finding the resource: Geologists find areas with valuable minerals (like gold, copper, coal, or iron).

• Clearing the land: Trees and plants are removed to prepare the area.

• Drilling and blasting: Explosives break up the rock and soil.

• Removing material: Huge machines like excavators and dump trucks carry the broken rock to be processed.

• Processing: The valuable minerals are separated from the waste rock.

• Waste rock: Unwanted materials (called overburden) are piled in nearby dumps.

Advantages of open-pit miniming:

• Cheaper than underground mining.

• Safer for workers (more open space, less risk of collapse).

• Easier to use large equipment.

• Can extract more material quickly.

Disadvantages of open-pit mining:

• Destroys ecosystems, forests, and topsoil.

• Dust and chemicals can spread into the environment.

• Leaves large holes/scars on the landscape.

• Produces large amounts of waste rock.

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