Name: ________________________________________ Block: _____ Date: _____/_____/_____

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Read Chapter 16, Section 2 in the textbook (pages 445 – 450). Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase that best completes each item.

Chapter 16 – Section 2: Mineral Exploration and Mining

I) Mineral Exploration

A) Planes carrying instruments that identify patterns in ___________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

B) When used with satellite images, these data and aerial photographs can be used to create ______________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

1) Rock samples are analyzed to determine _________________________ - _______________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2) If the ore grade is high enough and the deposit extensive enough, _____________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

II) Subsurface Mining

A) Subsurface mining methods are used when ore deposits are found ________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

B) Room-and-pillar mining

1) A network of entries, called _______________, are cut into a horizontal layer of coal.

2) Between the rooms, __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Name: ________________________________________ Block: _____ Date: _____/_____/_____

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

3) When the mining is completed, the pillars are _____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

C) Longwall Mining

1) In longwall mining, a machine called a __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2) As coal is sheared from the face, it falls on a conveyor which _________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

3) Hydraulic roof supports protect _______________ and _________________________

4) As the shearer advances forward through the coal seam, _____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

D) Solutions Mining

1) In solution mining, __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2) Compressed air is then pumped into the dissolved ore, and ___________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

III) Surface Mining

A) Surface mining methods are used when _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

B) Open-pit mining

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Name: ________________________________________ Block: _____ Date: _____/_____/_____

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

1) In an open-pit mine, _________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2) Explosives are used to ________________________________________________________________

3) The ore is loaded into haul trucks that ___________________________________________________

C) Surface Coal Mining

1) Overburden is ______________________________________________________________________

2) First, the soil is _______________ and set _______________

3) Next, the _________________________ is removed and set alongside the cut.

4) After the coal is removed from the seam, the pit is _______________

D) Quarrying

1) Building stones such as _______________ and _______________ are mined in quarries.

2) _________________________ are the main products of quarrying.

E) Solar Evaporation

1) The solar evaporation process consists of placing sea water into _______________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2) As the sea water evaporates, the sodium chloride concentration ____________________.

3) Salt crystals begin to form when the concentration reaches ___________________________________

4) When the salt layers reach the desired thickness, they are ____________________

5) Salt harvesting generally occurs _________________________

6) About _____% of the world’s salt come from the solar evaporation process.

IV)Placer Mining

A) Placer deposits are concentrated by ________________________________________________________

1) The most important placer deposits are ________________________________

2) Stream placers often occur at __________________________________________________________

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Name: ________________________________________ Block: _____ Date: _____/_____/_____

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

3) Placer deposits form along _________________________

4) These heavy minerals are concentrated by ____________________________

B) Mining by dredging:

1) A floating barge on which buckets are fixed on a ____________________

2) Gold, diamonds, or heavy minerals are __________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

V) Smelting

A) Smelting is a process in which ____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

1) Flux bonds with ____________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

2) The desired molten metal _____________________________________________________________

3) The less dense layer of flux and impurities on top of the molten metal is called __________________

B) Gases such as ___________________________________ form within the furnace and are captured, so

_____________________________________________________________________________________

VI)Undersea Mining

A) The ocean floor contains _________________________________________________________________

B) Land-based companies can mine minerals more _______________

C) Mineral deposits are found at great _________________________

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