Question

What's strip mining?

Answer 1

Strip mining is a kind of surface mining. The ore is very near to the surface of the land but has one or more layers of rock and filth on top of it. To mine the ore, these layers have to be removed.

The steps are:

.The trees and bushes are pushed down through bulldozers.


.This waste, along with the filth or sand under it, is taken to a close area and dumped.


.Lots of minute holes are drilled from the rock that is above the coal or mineral bed [vein]


.Explosives are put in the holes and blazed. This breaks up the rock which is taken to the dumping area.


.When the coal or mineral is found, it may be broken up by the blazing. The size of the chunks is important because the miners don't normally want it in minute pieces. They usually want it in pieces that are capable to be moved with big machinery.


.ThisThis mining is done in elongated, narrow strips. When the ore is done in one strip, the miners start to create another strip next to it. The waste, filth, and rock that they take off of the top of the next strip is put on top of the last one. This is recurring until the last strip is done and the waste from the primary strip is brought back to fill it.