Download How Metals are Mined - American Geosciences Institute

Mining removes rocks and minerals
that contain useful metals from the
Earth’s crust.
Image: G. Plumlee, USGS
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Many mines are large surface
excavations.
Image: Kennecott Utah Copper Co.
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Some mines are underground.
Image: US Bureau of Mines
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Drilling cuts holes in metal-bearing
rock where explosives can be placed.
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Explosions - or blasts - break metalbearing rock into blocks and fragments.
Image: US Bureau of Mines
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Metal-bearing rock broken by
blasting is hauled to a crusher.
Image: US Bureau of Mines
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Crushed metal-bearing rock - most
pieces smaller than a baseball - is ready
for processing that removes metals.
Image: Kennecott Utah Copper Co.
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All mines eventually deplete their
valuable metal-bearing rock and
close.
Image: Kennecott Utah Copper Co.
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