Understanding Mining's Legacy: Techniques & Environmental Impact

1 Laboratory Exercise 5: The Legacy of Mining The metals and other materials supplied by mining are essential for modern society. While most gold that is mined is used for jewelry, which many would consider frivolous, gold is also an important component circuitry used in cellphones and other electronic equipment. As most of the higher-grade ore deposits of metals were mined in the past, today’s mining relies more and more on the mining of lower grade deposits using a technique called open-pit mining. Most copper (Cu), gold (Au) and iron (Fe) produced today are recovered from large open pit mines that produce millions of tons of waste rock and generate gaping holes that permanently scar the landscape. In this laboratory exercise you will use Google Earth to visit mining districts around the world. Some of these will be active open pit mines and others will be abandoned. In the U.S., the mining law in the 19 th century allowed miners to walk away from mines when they were no longer profitable to operate. Present environmental laws were unheard of during the gold rushes into the American West. In some areas, abandoned mining districts pose serious health risks to humans and the environment. In others, the historic charm of the old mines and the communities they supported are major tourist attractions. Learning Objectives After you have completed this laboratory exercise, you should be able to: 1. Identify types of mining methods used to recover elements valuable to society. 2. Recognize open-pit and underground mines and their spoils piles 3. Recognize mine drainage waters discuss their contaminants. 4. Measure the size of open pits and waste piles to understand how mining impacts Earth’s surface . Exercise A: Visual Impact of Mining Using Google Earth, visit the following mining districts around the world by searching for the community name associated with the mines. Note the latitude and longitude of the featured mine or mining district. Once you have located these mines, search the internet and determine what materials (examples: metals: gold, silver, zinc, lead etc., gems, elements or minerals) each mine produced or produces. 1. Bingham Canyon, Utah, USA. Latitude 40.5587 ° N Longitude 112.1316 ° W Materials mined Copper, Gold, Molybdenum, and Silver 2. Mirny, Sakha, Russia. Latitude 62.5313 ° N Longitude 113.9774 ° E Materials mined Diamond

2 3. Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa. Latitude 28.7282 ° S Longitude 24.7499 ° E Materials mined Diamonds, Zinc, Copper, Iron Ore, Lead, and Titanium 4. Diavik, Northwest Territory, Canada. Latitude 62.4526 ° N Longitude 114.3742 ° W Materials mined Gem Diamonds 5. Picher Oklahoma, USA. Latitude 36.9870 ° N Longitude 94.8308 ° W Materials mined Lead and Zinc 6. Chuquicamata, Calama, Chile. Latitude 22.4537 ° S Longitude 68.9108 ° W Materials mined Copper, Silver, and gold. 7. Leadville, Colorado, USA. Latitude 39.3992 ° N Longitude 106.172 ° W Materials mined Gold, Silver, Lead, and Zinc 8. Butte, Montana, USA. Latitude 46.0155 ° N Longitude 112.5102 ° W Materials mined Molybdenum, gold, silver, lead, and zinc. 9. Wright, Wyoming, USA. (View from 10 miles high eye altitude to see mine) Latitude 43.6598 ° N Longitude 105.2349 ° W Materials mined Coal and Uranium 10. Chavies, Kentucky, USA. Latitude 43.3479 °N Longitude 105.3563 °W Materials mined Coal and Uranium

3 Exercise B: Impact of Mining on the Land Mining impacts the land in a number of ways. Open-pit mines leave gaping holes in the Earth and spoils piles of waste rock that cover the surrounding landscape. In this exercise, the ruler on the tool bar in Google Earth is used to measure amount of land impacted by several mines and mining districts. Measuring with Google Earth Using the search box in Google Earth, fly to Santa Rita, New Mexico ( Figure 1 ). Once you have the image, note these features: latitude and longitude of the cursor, elevation of the cursor and eye altitude. Eye altitude is the height from which you are viewing the image. The image in Figure 1 was captured at an eye altitude of 33,959 feet. The ruler is shown by the red arrow. Figure 1. Google Earth view of the Chino Mine, an open-pit copper mine near Santa Rita, New Mexico. Note information concerning the cursor: latitude, longitude, elevation and eye altitude.

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4 Figure 2. Measuring the east to west width of the main area involved in the Chino Mine, Santa Rita pit. The map/image length is approximately 2.76 miles. The ruler tool is used to measure linear distance. Select the ruler, click once to mark one end of the line, move the cursor to the desired spot, and click again to mark the termination. The units of measurement are easily changed in the ruler box. Also note the bearing in degrees. A true east to west line would have a bearing of 90 degrees.

5 Figure 3. Measuring the north to south distance across the main mining area, Chino Mine, Santa Rita pit. Along the yellow line, the length is 2.02 miles. To estimate the amount of land impacted the main part of the Santa Rita open-pit mine, we multiply the lengths of the two line segments. The math is simple: 2.02 miles x 2.76 miles = 5.76 square miles. The Santa Rita pit is relatively small by mining standards. B.1 Estimate the amount of land impacted by mining at the sites in the following list. Calculate estimated areas in square miles and square kilometers and circle the correct answer . Images show areas to be measured. 1. Bingham Canyon, Utah: _____________ square miles (mi 2 ). __________________square kilometers (km 2 ) a. 5 mi 2 ; 13 km 2 b. 6.5 mi 2 ; 15 km 2 c. 17 mi 2 ; 44 km 2 d. 8 mi 2 ; 10.3 km 2

6 2. Mirny, Sakha, Russia: _____________ square miles (mi 2 ). __________________square kilometers (km 2 ) a. 5 mi 2 ; 13 km 2 b. 3.5 mi 2 ; 9 km 2 c. 6.5 mi 2 ; 20 km 2 d. 1 mi 2 ; 3 km 2

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7 3. Chavies, Kentucky (largest mine northeast of town): _____________ square miles (mi 2 ). __________________square kilometers (km 2 ) a. 4 mi 2 ; 10.4 km 2 b. 2.4 mi 2 ; 6.2 km 2 c. 6.5 mi 2 ; 20 km 2 d. 11 mi 2 ; 33 km 2 4. Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia: _________ square miles (mi 2 ). _________square kilometers (km 2 ) a. 3 mi 2 ; 9 km 2 b. 2.4 mi 2 ; 6.5 km 2 c. 7.7 mi 2 ; 20 km 2 d. 10.2 mi 2 ; 26.4 km 2

8 5. Diavik, NT, Canada: _____________ square miles (mi 2 ). __________________square kilometers (km 2 ) Add areas of both polygons. a. 7 mi 2 ; 22 km 2 b. 4.2 mi 2 ; 10.9 km 2 c. 1.5 mi 2 ; 3.9 km 2 d. 10 mi 2 ; 28.9 km 2 B.2 Estimate the land covered by mine wastes in the Picher Field, Tri State Mining District, Oklahoma . The Tri State Mining District in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri was the world’s leading producer of zinc for decades. The mines removed ore from Mississippian-age cherty limestone (chert is a form of microcrystalline quartz) and separated the metals from the rock to form waste material called chat. The chat was piled on the surface to form large mounds, even small hills of waste that covers vast tracts of land. Because of pollution associated with the waste rock and lead-contaminated particles in mill ponds that were part of the separation process, the Picher Field was designated the Tar Creek Superfund Site. Soil contamination by lead and other metals such as cadmium is so severe that the town of Picher was abandoned.

9 Figure 4. Photograph from 1970s showing large pile of chat or waste rock in Picher, Oklahoma. Chat contains elevated amounts of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). Studies have shown that chat is useful and safe as road metal when it is bound in asphalt. Many streets in Stillwater and other communities across Oklahoma are paved with asphalt containing chat from the Picher Field, Tri State Mining District. Figure 5. A sign in Picher, Oklahoma, reminding young people who play in the soil or around chat piles to wash their hands before eating. Fine particles of lead in the soil are particularly dangerous to fetuses and young children whose brains are rapidly developing. Notice the haul trucks on the highway in the background. They may be hauling clean soil to cover a mill pond to prevent wind dispersal of contaminated dust or chat to be used as road paving material.

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10 Figure 6. A collapsed mine shaft in the Picher Field. The underground mine workings are filled with water. Depth to water is about 30 feet (10 m), whereas the shaft was originally 150 feet deep (46 m). Figure 7. Large pond (4 acres) formed around two collapsed shafts. Chat pile is eroding into the collapsed area.

11 Figure 8. Estimating area covered by chat near and in Picher, Oklahoma. To estimate the amount of land covered by chat, draw a grid over the block of interest and count the number of squares covered by the light- colored chat. Each full section is one (1) mile in length along each side and contains approximately 640 acres. To facilitate measuring, download PowerPoint or PDF of Laboratory Exercise Mining Legacy Figure 8 in Laboratory Exercises Module. B.2.1 Estimate the amount of land impacted by waste rock called chat . Each of the square blocks in this image (excepting those along the Kansas-Oklahoma state line at the top of the image) is a standard U.S. governmental section contains 640 acres more or less. To estimate the amount of land impacted by chat complete the following steps. 1. Draw a grid containing 100 small squares over the section of interest. See the example in the upper right of Figure 8 . 2. Count the boxes (small squares) that are light-colored. In this case eleven (11) boxes are fully or partially white.

12 3. The number of boxes is the percentage of land impacted. In our example 11/100 boxes are white, so approximately 11 percent of the land is directly impacted by chat. 4. Calculate the number of acres or square meters covered by chat. In our example the calculation is: (percentage of land) x (640 acres/section) = acres/section (0.11) (640 ac/section) = 70.4 acres/section To convert to square meters: 1 acre = 4047 square meters (m 2 ) 70.4 acres/section x 4047 m 2 /acre = 284,909 m 2 /section B.2.2 Complete the exercise for blocks A, B and C in Figure 8. Download PowerPoint slide Laboratory Exercise Mining Legacy Figure 8 in Laboratory Exercises Module. For those who prefer PDF files, download Figure 8 (PDF), select the edit file and slide grid to section of interest. Estimate the amount of land covered by chat in blocks A, B and C. Determine the estimate in acres and square meters. Block A: 179.2 acres. Block A: 725,222.4 m 2 Block B: 172.8 acres. Block B: 699,321 m 2 Block C: 128 acres. Block C: 518,016 m 2 Exercise C: Impact of Mining on the Water Mining can be detrimental to water quality in a number of ways. Perhaps the most common and spectacular in acid mine drainage (AMD). Sometimes called acid rock drainage (ARD), acidic water generated by the reaction of minerals containing sulfur in the form of sulfide and oxygen in the water, air or both, can be extremely detrimental to aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Because of chemical reactions in the water, iron that formerly combined mostly with sulfur to form pyrite (fool’s gold) is liberated and oxidized to form red, yellow and mahogany colored water that stains whatever it contacts. Acid mine drainage is a severe problem in areas where there is no calcite or limestone (rock containing mostly calcite) to chemically react with the acid and neutralize it. In this exercise, you use Google Earth to visit mines or mining district around the world to identify acid mine drainage.

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13 Exercise C.1 Ancient copper mines in Spain Man has mined copper in the southwestern part of Spain for more than 5,000 years. These copper ores are rich in sulfur in the form of iron sulfide (FeS 2 ) that we now know as pyrite or fool’s gold. As the land was disturbed, the pyrite oxidized to form acid mine drainage. C.1.a. Using Google Earth, fly to Nerva, Huelva, Spain. Approximately four (4) kilometers southeast of Nerva the Rivera del Jarama the stream that is dammed to form a lake. The water in this stream comes from the northeast and does not flow through the Rio Tinto Mining District. In contrast, water coming down the Rio Tinto flows through the disturbed area where sulfide minerals are oxidizing. 1. Fly to 37.661925 latitude, -6.519594 longitude. Use street view if necessary, but notice the color of the water in the stream. This is normal and healthy water in the Rivera del Jarama. Describe the color in less than ten (10) words: The color is murky green. It looks like lake water. 2. Fly to 37.629539, -6.544511. Describe in thirty (30) words or less how the color of the Rio Tinto differs from the color of the Rivera del Jarama. The Rio Tinto is a muddy brown. It is more brown than the Rivera del Jarama. The Rio Tinto does not look healthy in the slightest. C.1.b. Using the ruler, estimate how many square kilometers are impacted by the Rio Tinto Mining district. 12.7 Kilometers C.1.c. Follow the Rio Tinto to the southwest until it enters the Atlantic Ocean near Punta Umbria. Using the ruler, draw a line from Nerva, Huelva to the point where the Rio Tinto enters the ocean. How far is this distance (flight distance) in kilometers? 67 Kilometers Does the water in the Rio Tinto return to normal color? Yes If so why? Overtime it changes back because only part is polluted. Exercise C.2: Acid mine drainage in the United States of America

14 In the image below ( Figure 9 ), you will find evidence of acid mine drainage in the Picher Field, Ottawa County, Oklahoma. The underground mines in the Picher Field have filled with water that exits at the surface along the confluence of Lytle Creek and Tar Creek. Notice the difference in water color in Tar Creek above the confluence (where they join) and below. Figure 9. Close up view of the confluence of Lytle and Tar creeks near Picher, Oklahoma. Lytle Creek contains mine discharge water, whereas Tar Creek is relatively clean. Red star marks the location of Figure 10.

15 Figure 10. Tar Creek below the confluence with Lytle Creek (see red star, Figure 9). Tar and Lytle creeks are channelized to keep them from draining into collapsed mines. Lytle Creek discharges water from underground mines that is acidic and rich in metals including lead (Pb), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). C.2.a. Examine Figure 9 and compare the color of the water in the discharge pond around a shaft collapse with the color of the water in the Admiralty Pond and Tar Creek above the confluence of Lytle Creek and Tar Creek. Describe the difference in color in 40 words or less. The water around Tar and Lytle creeks is a brown and orange color that looks like rusted iron. Admiralty has a normal blue green color that looks like most lakes in Oklahoma. C.2.b. Google “Acid Mine Drainage in Kentucky” and “capture” two images of acid mine drainage associated with coal mining. Place these images in a Microsoft Word or similar file and submit them with the other lab materials. List the source of each image.

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16 Source for image 1 https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/TWCNews/acid_mine_drainage_belt_creek_0208_ap Source for image 2 https://appvoices.org/images/uploads/2021/10/Ky_amd-sq.jpeg Submit the completed laboratory exercise to Dropbox in Canvas before the due date.

Laboratory Exercise 5 Mining Legacy

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