What are some of the most common mining techniques?
For deposits at or near the surface, one of several surface methods may be used, including open-pit, strip, alluvial, or in-situ mining and their variations. If all or a major part of the deposit is at an appreciable depth, one of the many underground mining methods is likely to be selected. Open-Pit Mining is used to extract massive deposits that are at or near the surface and are large in all three dimensions. The methods may be used in almost any kind of surface terrain. An open-pit mine has the appearance of an oval or irregular bowl with sides that may be formed by a series of benches or terraces. The mining process starts with heavy earth-moving equipment (dozers, scrapers, draglines, etc.) removing any overlying dirt or rock (overburden) that is present. Single or multiple rows of holes are drilled downward in a bench near its outer edge. The holes are loaded with explosive, and the ore is blasted or shaken to allow extraction. The fragmented ore then is loaded into haulage equi
