Open-pit mining

Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a <a href="/facts/Surface_mining/YTgBBloU">surface mining</a> technique that extracts <a href="/facts/Rock_(geology)/FXCJkmop">rock</a> or <a href="/facts/Minerals/LkUFbNmv">minerals</a> from the earth.
Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially useful ore or rocks are found near the surface where the <a href="/facts/Overburden/Cz14wmHh">overburden</a> is relatively thin. In contrast, deeper mineral deposits can be reached using underground mining.

Open-pit mining is considered one of the most dangerous <a href="/facts/Industrial_sector/X0sdl2dF">sectors in the industrial world</a>.[not verified in body] It causes significant effects to miners' health, as well as damage to the ecological land and water. Open-pit mining causes changes to vegetation, soil, and bedrock, which ultimately contributes to changes in surface hydrology, groundwater levels, and flow paths. Additionally, open-pit produces harmful <a href="/facts/Pollutant/4f9kmFzq">pollutants</a> depending on the type of mineral being mined, and the type of mining process being used.

Open-pit mining open-in-new

Open-pit mining