Why did people start growing pumpkins? Pumpkin was bred in both the Old and New Worlds thousands of years before our era, and this was done solely for its hard rind, which was used to make vessels. The first examples of ceramic ware in some areas

How did the first people evolve, what did they start doing first - gathering or hunting? (Asked by T. Jordan, Gainesville, Florida, USA) They probably began hunting and gathering at the same time. But before that, perhaps the first people ate carrion.

Where did gold mining first begin? Traces of the first gold mining were discovered in Egypt. The Egyptians began mining gold more than 5,000 years ago. We also have evidence that about 4,500 years ago, the Assyrians fought with their neighbors to get gold. The rulers of Greece and Rome too

When did people start building houses? A house is, first of all, the place where a person lives, and at first, like other living beings, he looked for shelter wherever he could. People found a good protected place and considered it “home”. Then they began to improve their homes with various

MINERAL MINING (a. mineral production, mineral output, mineral recovery; n. Gewinnung von nutzbaren Bodenschatzen; f. exploitation des mineraux ufiles; i. explotacion de minerales utiles) - processes of solid, liquid and gaseous products using technical means. The term "mining" is also used as economic category and is expressed in volumetric or weight units of measurement: in relation to - in m 3, - in m 3 / day (, and other components - in tons), non-metallic raw materials - in tons, - in, semi-precious stones - in kilograms, ( , etc.) - in m3, raw materials for, paint raw materials - in tons, facing decorative stone - in m2. The calculation of extracted minerals is carried out in absolute figures obtained from the mineral deposit, taking into account losses (the so-called marketable product) and in terms of the useful component (metal or). The latter makes data on the extraction of a specific mineral from different deposits comparable (that is, it takes into account the % content of the valuable component in minerals).

Mining has a history of thousands of years (see). The mining process involves extracting a valuable component in a relatively pure form (e.g. oil, natural gas, coal, gems etc.) or in the form (for example, metal ore), which is subsequently processed.

On land, mining is carried out, and; in the sea - with drilling wells, and special autonomous ones that collect nodules from the bottom.

The overwhelming number of solid mineral deposits are developed using mines and quarries, as well as boreholes, by artificially converting a number of solid minerals into a mobile (liquid, gaseous) state (native salt, rock salt, coal, etc.). The quarries produce about 90% of brown and 20% of hard coals, 70% of metal ores, 95% of nonmetallic building materials. Liquid and gaseous minerals (oil, brines, The groundwater, natural gas) are extracted using drilling wells, a number of oil fields is developed using mines; mining is used to extract oil-saturated sands ("heavy" oils) open method. A number of deposits use a combination of mining methods (open pit and mine, mine and borehole). The choice of mining method is determined mainly by the mining and geological conditions of the minerals and economic calculations.

The annual production of solid minerals in the world is about 20 billion tons (including non-metallic minerals - 13 billion tons), oil - about 3 billion tons, gaseous minerals - 1.5 trillion. m 3 (1980). The scale of mining is increasing with development industrial production, technological progress and population growth. Of the total amount of minerals extracted from the bowels of the earth in the entire history of human civilization, the predominant volume was extracted in the 20th century (1901-80), incl. oil 99.5%, coal 90%, 87%, over 80%, 70%. The growth of mineral extraction is ensured by the discovery of new deposits, the involvement of deep deposits in the exploitation, and the development of ores with low contents of useful components. An important reserve for increasing industrial consumption is the improvement of mineral processing technologies, the introduction of low-waste and waste-free technologies with the disposal of all components of the mined rock mass. The largest volumes of mineral extraction come from machine (in some cases automated) systems, the importance of the most advanced physicochemical and biological methods is increasing, allowing selective extraction of metals from deposits directly in rock masses, without significant disruption of their continuity (for example,). Mining is an energy-intensive process. The main sources of energy are electrical, liquid fuel, explosives. Energy consumption during open-pit mining is 10-30 times less than during mining.

Mining is a critical area human activity, providing the postulate, development of the productive forces of society. See table.

How minerals are mined

check yourself

1.Question: Tell us about the variety of minerals.

Answer: minerals can be in different types: solid, liquid, gaseous. They are mined underground, from underground, on the surface of the earth. For example: iron ore, coal - mined both underground and on the surface, like clay, sand, limestone, granite - mined in quarries, oil, natural gas - mined from underground.

2. Question: why do people mine minerals? What is their use based on?

Answer: to receive necessary for a person items to satisfy your needs. The application depends on the properties of the minerals. Sand, clay, limestone, granite, marble - used in construction; oil for fuel, plastics, road construction materials; coal for heating and electricity generation; various ores for obtaining metals.

3. Question: what methods of mining do you know?

Answer: mine, drilling rig and platform, quarry, well.

Homework assignments

Task 2.

Question: What minerals are mined in your area?

Answer: copper ore, gold ore, coal, sand, clay, precious stones, iron ore, titanomagnetite ore, etc.

Task 3. Prepare a report about some mineral.

Answer: Coal.

Coal is a solid, exhaustible, non-renewable mineral that man uses to produce heat by burning it. According to the classification, it belongs to sedimentary rocks.

People began to use coal as an energy source in ancient times, along with firewood. “Combustible stone” was found on the surface of the earth, and later it began to be deliberately mined from under it.

Coal appeared on Earth about 300-350 million years ago, when tree ferns grew luxuriantly in ancient swamps and the first gymnosperms began to appear. Huge trunks fell into the water, gradually forming thick layers of undecomposed organic matter. With limited access to oxygen, the wood did not rot, but gradually sank deeper and deeper under its weight. Over time, due to shifting layers earth's crust, these layers sank to a considerable depth and there, under the influence high pressure And elevated temperature, there was a qualitative change from wood to coal.

Today they are mining different kinds coal.

Anthracites are the hardest varieties with great depth and having maximum temperature combustion.

Hard coal - many varieties mined in mines and in open pits. It is widely used in many areas of human activity.

Brown coal - formed from the remains of peat, the youngest type of coal. Has the most low temperature combustion.

All types of coal occur in layers and their locations are called coal basins.

At first, coal was simply collected in places where the seam came to the surface. This could have happened as a result of displacement of layers of the earth's crust. Often after collapses in mountainous area Such deposits were exposed, and people were able to get to pieces of “combustible stone.”

Later, when primitive technology appeared, coal began to be mined using the open pit method. Some coal mines sank to depths of more than 300 meters.

Today, thanks to the availability of sophisticated modern technology, people descend underground into mines more than a kilometer deep. The highest quality and valuable coal is mined from these horizons.

All types of coal can be used to produce heat. When burned, it is released into much more than you can get it from firewood or other solid fuels. The hottest types of coal are used in metallurgy, where they are needed high temperatures. In addition, coal is a valuable raw material for chemical industry. Paints, plastics and other valuable materials are extracted from it.

Coal is mined in mines and quarries. And they are transported in wagons by rail.

In the next lesson.

Question: remember what plants are called cultivated. Give examples of such plants. What kind of plant growing work is carried out in different times of the year? What agricultural professions do you know?

Answer: cultivated plants (agricultural crops) are plants grown by humans to obtain food products, feed in agriculture, medicines, industrial and other raw materials and other purposes. Examples cultivated plants: various grain crops, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cotton, rice, etc.

In the spring, the land is plowed and plants are sowed, in the summer - weeding, fertilizing, loosening; in the fall - harvesting, soil preparation - plowing plowed land, shutting off autumn moisture, sowing winter crops is possible; in winter - they carry out “snow retention”, work to retain snow in the fields.

Agricultural professions related to growing plants: combine operator, agronomist, field grower, vegetable grower, tractor driver.

There are many natural deposits of substances important for humans. These are resources that are exhaustible and should be conserved. Without their development and production, many aspects of people's lives would be extremely difficult.

Mineral resources and their properties are the object and subject of study of mining geology. The results obtained by her are further used for processing and production of many things.

Minerals and their properties

What exactly are minerals called? These are like this rocks or mineral structures that are of great economic importance and are widely used in industry.

Their diversity is great, so the properties for each species are specific. Several main variants of accumulations of the substances under consideration in nature can be distinguished:

• placers;
• strata;
• veins;
• rods;
• nests

If we talk about the general distribution of fossils, we can highlight:

• provinces;
• districts;
• swimming pools;
• Place of Birth.

Minerals and their properties depend on the specific type of raw material. This is what determines the area of ​​their use by humans, as well as the method of extraction and processing.

Types of minerals

There is more than one classification of the raw materials in question. So, if the basis is based on the signs state of aggregation, then the following varieties are distinguished.

1. Solid mineral. Examples: marble, salts, granite, metal ores, non-metallic.
2. Liquid - underground mineral water and oil.
3. Gas - natural gas, helium.

If the division into types is based on the use of minerals, then the classification takes the following form.

1. Flammable. Examples: oil, combustible coal, methane and others.
2. Ore or igneous. Examples: all metal-containing ore raw materials, as well as asbestos and graphite.
3. Nonmetallic. Examples: all raw materials that do not contain metals (clay, sand, chalk, gravel and others), as well as various salts.
4. Gemstones. Examples: precious and semi-precious, as well as (diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, jasper, chalcedony, opal, carnelian and others).

Based on the diversity presented, it is obvious that minerals and their properties are the whole world, which is being studied by a huge number of geologists and miners.

Main deposits

Various minerals are distributed fairly evenly across the planet according to geological features. After all, a significant part of them is formed due to platform movements and tectonic eruptions. There are several main continents that are richest in almost all types of raw materials. This:

• North and South America.
• Eurasia.
• Africa.

All countries located in the designated territories widely use minerals and their properties. Export supplies go to the same areas that do not have their own raw materials.

In general, of course, it is difficult to determine overall plan mineral resource deposits. After all, everything depends on the specific type of raw material. One of the most expensive are precious ones (containing precious metals) minerals. Gold, for example, is found everywhere except Europe (of the continents listed above plus Australia). It is highly valued, and its extraction is one of the most common phenomena in mining.

Eurasia is the richest in combustible resources. Mountain minerals (talc, barite, kaolin, limestone, quartzite, apatite, salt) are distributed almost everywhere in large quantities.

Mining

Various methods are used to extract minerals and prepare them for use.

1. Open path. The necessary raw materials are extracted directly from the quarries. Over time, this leads to the formation of vast ravines and is therefore not kind to nature.
2. The mine method is more correct, but expensive.
3. Fountain method of pumping out oil.
4. Pump method.
5. Geotechnological methods of ore processing.

The development of mineral deposits is an important and necessary process, but one that leads to very disastrous consequences. After all, resources are finite. Therefore, in last years special emphasis is placed not on large volumes of extraction of mineral resources, but on their more correct and rational use by humans.

Ore (igneous) rocks

This group includes the most important and largest mineral resources in terms of production volumes. Ore is a formation of a mineral nature that contains a large amount of one or another desired metal (another component).

Places where such raw materials are extracted and processed are called mines. Igneous rocks can be classified into four groups:

• colored;
• noble;
• non-metallic components.

Let us give examples of some ore mineral resources.

1. Iron.
2. Nickel.
3. Argentite.
4. Cassiterite.
5. Beryl.
6. Bornite.
7. Chalcopyrite.
8. Uraninite.
9. Asbestos.
10. Graphite and others.

Gold is an ore mineral

There are also special minerals among the ores. Gold, for example. Its extraction has been relevant since ancient times, because it has always been highly valued by people. Today, gold is mined and laundered in almost every country that has at least small deposits of it.

In nature, gold occurs in the form of native particles. The largest ingot was found in Australia, weighing almost 70 kg. Often, due to the weathering of deposits and their erosion, placers in the form of sand grains of this precious metal are formed.

It is extracted from such mixtures by washing and sifting. In general, these are not very common and voluminous minerals. That is why gold is called a precious and noble metal.

The centers for the extraction of this ore mineral are:

• Russia.
• Canada.
• South Africa.
• Australia.

Fossil fuels

This group includes such mineral resources as:

• brown coal;
• oil;
• gas (methane, helium);
• coal.

The use of minerals of this kind is fuel and raw materials for the production of various chemical compounds and substances.

Coal is a mineral that lies at a relatively shallow depth in wide layers. Its quantity is limited in one specific deposit. Therefore, having exhausted one pool, people move on to another. In general, coal contains up to 97% pure carbon. It was formed historically as a result of the death and compaction of plant organic remains. These processes lasted millions of years, so now coal reserves great amount all over the planet.

Oil is another name for liquid gold, which emphasizes how important mineral resource she happens to be. After all, this is the main source of high-quality combustible fuel, as well as its various components - the basis, raw material for chemical syntheses. The leaders in oil production are the following countries:

• Russia.
• Algeria;
• Mexico.
• Indonesia.
• Venezuela.
• Libya.

Which is a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons, it is also an important industrial fuel. It is one of the cheapest raw materials, so it is used on a particularly large scale. The leading countries in production are Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Non-metallic or non-metallic types

This group includes minerals and rocks such as:

• clay;
• sand;
• pebbles;
• gravel;
• crushed stone;
• talc;
• kaolin;
• barite;
• graphite;
• diamonds;
• quartz;
• apatites;
• phosphorite and others.

All varieties can be combined into several groups according to their area of ​​use.

1. Mining chemical minerals.
2. Metallurgical raw materials.
3. Technical crystals.
4. Construction Materials.

Gemstone fossils are often included in this group. The areas of use of non-metallic minerals are multifaceted and extensive. This Agriculture(fertilizers), construction (materials), glass making, jewelry making, technology, general chemical production, paint production and so on.

The economies of many countries depend on mining. This is one of the main resources for the development of industry, construction and the economy. There are two main mining options: underground mining and open-pit mining. The choice of method depends on the depth of valuable rock deposits, terrain features and other factors.

Extraction work useful resources from the depths of the Earth have a thousand-year history. Equipment and mining methods have gone through a serious evolutionary path. Nevertheless, the basic principles have been preserved.

Quarries are being developed in almost every corner of the planet. Metals, minerals, and construction raw materials are mined. This type of mining has a negative impact on the environment and environmental situation. However there is whole line advantages that determine the popularity of the open-pit mining method:

• simplified version of preparatory and construction work;
• high degree of safety for participants in the process;
• relatively low costs for organizing and conducting development;
• comfortable conditions for workers;
• the possibility of more efficient rock extraction.

The positive aspects of quarrying are identified in relation to other mining options (underground, combined). Labor costs for open-pit mining are quite high. The economic benefit decreases with the deepening of the pit. Delivery of the breed to the collection point is constantly becoming more complicated, increasing the cost of the procedure.

Open development technology

Production natural resources- a process that consists of many stages. Preparatory work begins with geological exploration. Experts search for fossil deposits and estimate the likely volumes of mined rock.

Preparatory work

After positive results geological exploration stage begins primary training. Mining enterprises carry out the following work:

• uprooting of forests;
• drainage or watering of the area;
• construction necessary communications(sewage, communications, access roads);
• erection of administrative buildings and other premises.

The duration of the preparatory stage depends on the financial investment, the scale of the work, weather conditions, terrain features.

Minerals (coal, metal, etc.) are hidden under waste rock. This layer of soil must be removed. To achieve this, stripping operations are carried out. The top soil is removed layer by layer. There is a systematic advance towards valuable deposits. As a result, a cascade of benches is formed, and the development of the quarry approaches the direct production phase.

The following equipment is used for stripping operations:

• bulldozer;
• excavator;
• dragline (excavator with rope connection);
• drilling and blasting equipment.

The efficiency of open pit mining is determined by the ratio of the displaced waste rock to the mining result. Quantity cubic meters the removed soil is divided by the tonnage of the removed mineral.

Mining process

After stripping operations, direct extraction of the mined rock is carried out. It is removed from the subsoil and transported to warehouses or processing plants. To reduce the cost of this stage of development, they use large-tonnage equipment and try to automate some processes.

Transportation of raw materials is often entrusted to mining dump trucks of the BelAZ plant. In 2013, a model was released that is capable of transporting cargo weighing up to 450 tons. During testing, the dump truck handled a record 503.5 tons.

New technologies and equipment that are used for development and production are regularly developed valuable species. The level of security is increasing, and some processes are being fully automated. But work in quarries and mines remains difficult and dangerous. Working conditions are often extreme and require high physical and psychological stability.

Quarry structure

Open mining is suitable for many valuable rocks. There are chalk quarries, coal quarries, amber quarries, marble quarries, and copper quarries. One of the largest open-pit mining sites is located in Utah, USA. Mining of the Bingham Canyon quarry began in 1863. The depth of the pit is about 1,200 meters. Active ore mining continues in the quarry.

Features of quarry development depend on many factors. We can identify the main elements that are characteristic of all such structures:

• working and non-working board;
• lower and upper contours;
• overburden and clearing benches;
• platforms (below the slope, above the slope);
• breed collection point;
• transport communications.

The bottom of the quarry is also often called the bottom - this is the lower platform of the ledge. Its dimensions take into account the necessary safety conditions for removing rock and loading at the last level.

The influence of quarries on the environmental situation

Each quarry development is a significant blow to environment and the ecological background of the area. Already at the preparatory stage of rock extraction, actions are carried out that destroy the landscape. Enterprises cut down entire forests, drain water bodies, and carry out blasting operations.

Open pit mining has a detrimental effect on the soil. Cubic meters of soil are removed for fossil deposits. Often these are lands that could be effectively used for agricultural purposes. The development of valuable rocks entails a decrease in the level of groundwater. The region's water supply and soil productivity are declining.

Overburden dumps pose a particular danger. Scale negative impact depend on the depth of the quarry and chemical composition soil. Dumps pollute water, air, and soil. Various salts can leach into vegetation and lead to increased risk of certain diseases in local populations.

Mining in quarries is always accompanied by:

• wastewater pollution;
• carbon monoxide emissions;
• loud noise.

All this also negatively affects the environment.

Ecological restoration measures

The open-pit method of mining is not distinguished by its gentle approach to the developed area, but Negative consequences can be leveled out somewhat. In many countries, companies involved in quarrying are required to carry out reclamation and replant the site with vegetation after the end of mining. This allows you to start the process of regeneration of the soil and the ecological background.

Working with industrial waste can also be optimized. From the dump rocks the following is extracted:

• mineral fertilizers;
• alumina;
• Construction Materials.

This makes it possible to expand the range of economic benefits for the mining industry and reduce the negative impact of dumps on the environment.

Conclusion

Open pit mining is common throughout the world. This method allows you to remove a wide variety of rocks: chalk, coal, etc. We have to come to terms with the fact that quarrying has a negative impact on the environment.

However, conscious states are trying to control this process by setting certain requirements for mining enterprises. Mining and development of valuable rocks is a help for a stable economy. It is difficult for governing bodies to refuse the impressive financial flow that lies in the bowels of the country.