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Mining Geology Essentials
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Ore Deposit
A concentration of minerals that is economically viable to extract. Mining relevance includes the identification, valuation, and exploitation of deposits.
Mineral Exploration
The process of finding ore deposits through geological study, sampling, and drilling, essential for mining industry to locate new resources.
Geophysical Surveying
Using physical properties of rocks (e.g., magnetism, gravity) to infer the geology beneath the Earth's surface, crucial for exploration.
Geochemical Prospecting
Analyzing the chemistry of rock, soil, and water to search for anomalies indicative of ore deposits, important for pinpointing targets.
Structural Geology
Study of rock deformation patterns, improves understanding of ore distribution and guides mine planning and design.
Stratigraphy
The layered structure of rock formations, informs resource estimation and helps in identifying ore-bearing strata.
Ore Grade
Measure of the concentration of valuable minerals within an ore, determines the feasibility of mining.
Mineral Reserves
Quantifiable amount of ore that can be economically mined; reserve estimation is key for mine life planning.
Mineral Resources
Total amount of potentially valuable minerals, whether or not currently economically viable, informs future exploitation potential.
Cut-off Grade
The lowest grade of ore that is economically viable to process, a critical decision point in mine development.
Resource Modeling
The three-dimensional representation of geological data to estimate ore volume and grade, used for mine planning and investment decisions.
Block Modeling
A type of resource modeling dividing the deposit into blocks for detailed analysis of grade and volume, aids in resource estimation and mine planning.
Rock Mechanics
The study of behavior of rock masses, critical for understanding stability of mine structures like pit walls and underground tunnels.
Hydrogeology
The branch of geology dealing with the distribution and movement of groundwater, important for mine dewatering and environmental protection.
Geostatistics
Mathematical techniques used to predict and model the spatial distribution of geological variables, crucial in resource estimation.
Subsidence
The gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land, often a concern in areas with extensive underground mining.
Vein (Lode) Mining
Extraction of ore from veins or lodes, typically high-grade deposits mined in narrow zones, vital for precious metals like gold and silver.
Placer Mining
Mining of valuable minerals from a placer deposit, using water to excavate, transport, and recover the minerals from sediment.
Open Pit Mining
Surface mining technique involving the extraction of ore from an open pit, efficient for extracting large volumes of low-grade ores.
Underground Mining
Extraction of valuable minerals from beneath the Earth's surface, used when mineral deposits are too deep for surface mining techniques.
Tailings
The materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of ore. Managing tailings is crucial for environmental protection.
Heap Leaching
A processing technique where ore is stacked and then a solution is used to extract metals. It has low cost but may pose environmental hazards.
Froth Flotation
A process for selectively separating hydrophobic materials from hydrophilic ones, used for mineral processing and recovery.
Smelting
A form of extractive metallurgy for producing a metal from its ore by heating beyond the metal's melting point, commonly used for extraction of base and precious metals.
Bioleaching
The use of microbial processes to extract metals from ores. This environmentally friendly technique is gaining importance in the mining industry.
Geological Mapping
The process of creating maps that show the geological features of a region. Essential for exploration and mine planning.
Core Sampling
The extraction of a cylindrical sample of rock by a hollow drill. Core samples are fundamental for understanding geology of potential mining sites.
Drill and Blast
A common method for breaking rock in mining operations, involving drilling holes and using explosives to create the desired fragmentation.
Mine Rehabilitation
The process of repairing the economic, social and environmental impacts of mining, restoring the site to its natural or economically usable state.
Room and Pillar Mining
An underground mining method where rooms are cut into the coal bed, leaving a series of pillars to support the mine roof and control ground pressures.
Longwall Mining
An underground coal mining technique involving the full extraction of coal from a section of seam or 'face', using mechanical shearers.
Electromagnetic Survey
A geophysical technique measuring the electromagnetic fields on the Earth's surface to detect subsurface mineral deposits.
Seismic Survey
A method that uses the reflection or refraction of seismic waves to produce a profile of subsurface structures, aiding in the exploration of oil, gas, and minerals.
Magnetic Survey
A geophysical method involving measurement of variations in the Earth's magnetic field to infer the presence of magnetic minerals like iron ore.
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