ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT
WHAT DOES THE WORD ENVIRONMENT
MEAN TO YOU?

Environment
WHAT ABOUT THESE ENVIRONMENTS?
WHAT DOES THE WORD MANAGEMENT
MEAN TO YOU?

Management
Environmental Management is
concerned with…
• The impact of humans on the planet
• How humans preserve and manage the
environment in a sustainable way
• Local and global perspectives
• Survival needs, perceptions and values of
people
• Cultural, social and political attitudes
• Sustainability
• The future of the world
 COURSE OVERVIEW
The syllabus is divided into nine topics:
1. Rocks and minerals and their exploitation
2. Energy and the environment
3. Agriculture and the environment
4. Water and its management
5. Oceans and fisheries
6. Managing natural hazards
7. The atmosphere and human activities
8. Human population
9. Natural ecosystems and human activities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wT-V8aPSN
HOW YOU WILL BE ASSESSED
 UNIT 1 – ROCKS AND
MINERALS AND THEIR
EXPLOITATION
•Rocks are made of different kinds of minerals and crystals. Some rocks are made up
of dead plants and animals too.

•Minerals are natural and inorganic (no plants or animals). Minerals generally form
crystals because the atoms in them are arranged regularly.

•A good way to think about it is if a chocolate chip cookie was a rock, then the flour,
sugar, butter, chocolate chips are the minerals that make up that rock!
 Key word =
Geology- the study of rocks that make up the
land. geology
The Rock Cycle

Think…pair…share: What do you already know

about rocks?

TASK
Write down
three facts
from this
video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEg_XuCMD2s
Learning
objectives:
1. To describe the three main rock types: igneous, metamorphic,
sedimentary.

2. To be able to describe and explain how the rock cycle works.

There are four layers to the Earth’s
structure, what are they and which one do
we live on?
 Task
Draw a simple,
labelled
diagram in your
books showing
the four layers

Outer Core
Crust
Inner Core
Mantle
 Igneous Sedimentary Metamorphic

Task: Copy this table into books Challenge: What rock type is in Denmark
There are three different types of rocks, what
are they?
• Igneous

• Sedimentary

• Metamorphic
Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks are formed from molten rock (magma) from
below the ground which is pushed up to the surface. On the
surface, the lava cools down, becomes, solid…forming
Igneous rocks.

Igneous rocks have crystals, the size of the crystals depends

on the time taken to cool down.
How does magma get to the surface?
VOLCANOES
Two types of igneous rocks
Extrusive igneous rocks – Forms
from molten rock (magma) that cools
down quickly on the surface of the
earth.
What do E.g basalt.
you notice about the two different types
of igneous rocks? Can you describe any
differences?

Intrusive igneous rocks - Forms

from molten rock (magma) that cools
down slowly deep under the earth’s
Below you can see a basalt cliff, what has
happened to the basalt cliff in this picture?
• The basalt cliff has
been weathered (e.g
by physical
weathering) and the
pieces of rock are
transported to the
base of the cliff by
erosion.
Sedimentary rocks
• Sedimentary rocks are formed from
particles of older rocks, sand,
organic matter, and clay
(sediments) eroded and
weathered from past landscapes,
that have been deposited in layers
usually in seas or rivers.
• The weight of the sediments on top squashes
the sediments at the bottom. This is called
compaction. The water is squeezed out from
between the pieces of rock and crystals of
Sedimentary rock continued
Limestone
• The crystals form a sort of glue that
sticks or cements the pieces of rock
together. This process is called
cementation.
Sandstone

• These processes eventually make a

type of rock called sedimentary
rock. It may take millions of years
Shale
for sedimentary rocks to form.
So, what are metamorphic rocks?
• Metamorphic rocks are created
when sedimentary or igneous
rocks are placed under extreme
heat and pressures, making
hard and compact rocks.

Marble

Slate
There are three types of rock which have been formed
in different ways. Match the statement to the correct
type of rock.

Igneous When sediments and

organic matter build
up in layers overtime.

Sedimentary
Rocks that are formed
as lava cools from
volcanic eruptions.

Metamorphic
The transformation
and change of a rock
through the process of
Challenge: Can you give heat and pressure.
any examples of each rock
 Igneous
Clue: You
might have
this in your
kitchen…

Metamor
phic

Slate Clue: It has

Marble
Clue: You may the same
have these on name as a
your roof… green fruit
……..stone.
Sediment
ary
Clue: There
are lots of this
material found
at the beach
THE ROCK CYCLE
This is a group of changes/processes between the three types of
rock. The rock cycle describes how rocks change, and their
materials are recycled over millions of years:

Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
 THE ROCK CYCLE
Task: Place the key
Coolin processes in the
g correct part of the
1
diagram.

Key processes:

Erosion and weathering

Meltin
2 Erosion and g Compaction and
5
weathering cementation

Heat and pressure

Melting
3
4 Cooling
Heat and
Compactio pressure
n and Challenge: What two
cementatio factors are needed to
n change a sedimentary
TASK: ORDER THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS DURING THE ROCK CYCLE
IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS AND THEN ADD LABELS TO YOUR DIAGRAM
Eventually rock is heated As it reaches the surface it
and melted and returns cools and sets as an igneous
back in the magma 7 rock 2
chamber. Eventually small particles are then
Rock rises as magma washed into a stream and
out of the volcano. 1 transported to the sea. 4

Over time, rock gets worn away

Compaction and cementation and broken down by physical
creates sedimentary rocks. weathering and erosion into
5 3
small particles.
Challenge: Can you Over time, layers of sediments become
give remember specific buried deeper which causes the rocks
names of any of these to heat up under pressure. Rocks
rocks? change to metamorphic rocks. 6

The process starts 8

again.
 EXAM PRACTICE TASK

Do Now:
Answer questions in FULL
sentences.

1. What is the main type of

rock found in the
Highlands?
2.What is the most
common type of rock in
the UK?
3.What two types of rocks
are found in the South
East of England?

Think Hard:
Describe the distribution of
granite across the UK (4)
 Title - Extraction of rocks and minerals

Deep thinking – What is happening in these images?

WHAT ARE WE MINING FOR?
Recap. What are we mining for?
• Metamorphic -
• Sedimentary -
• Igneous -
 Igneous
Clue: You
might have
this in your
kitchen…

Metamor
phic

Slate Clue: It has

Marble
Clue: You may the same
have these on name as a
your roof… green fruit
……..stone.
Sediment
ary
Clue: There
are lots of this
material found
at the beach
 Extraction of rocks What do you think they are
and minerals from doing in the picture below?
the earth They are prospecting
(searching for valuable
Lesson Objective : minerals). There are various
To describe the methods for prospecting ways to do it!
(finding) rocks and minerals

To discuss the factors that affect the

decision to extract rocks and minerals
HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE TO MINE?
• Mining takes place when a valuable
deposit is located near the surface
• Remote sensing with satellites can
help detect where valuable
minerals are located
• The worthless rock and soil
covering these minerals is called
the overburden
 Key terms
• Ore – a rock with enough of an important Remote sensing – a process in which information is gathered
about the Earth’s surface from above.
element/mineral to make it worth mining.

Geochemical – the chemical properties of rocks

• Prospecting – a process of searching for
minerals.
 Types of mines – Theo will cover this in more detail but for this lesson
this is what we need to consider

MINE TYPE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Open Pit Mining Easier access to materials Large areas of land damaged, looks unsightly (ugly), causes
Surface mining Large size of mines allow easy access of lots of noise and dust pollution. Produces lots of waste rock
machines and workers (spoil)

Worse for the environment!

Shaft Mining Reaches minerals not accessible by other Most expensive method. Risk of tunnel/shaft collapse,
Sub surface mining methods. Less impact of surface ecosystem. poisonous gases, underground fires and explosions.

Worse for the miners!

 How to search for minerals

METHOD 1 - PROSPECTING

The demand for minerals continues to increase, both from

developed (MEDC) and developing countries (LEDC).
People have searched for minerals for thousands of years.
The simplest way is to look carefully at the surface of rocks. This
process is called prospecting. Prospecting and exploration drilling is
the first phase in the life cycle on a mine.

METHOD 2 – GEOCHEMICAL sampling

Field surveys on the ground are used to take samples, which are then
sent to a laboratory for geochemical analysis, so that the chemicals
can be identified.
 How to search for minerals
Aerial
METHOD 3 – REMOTE photography Deposits on the Earth’s surface can also be found
SENSING can cover using remote sensing. An area of land can be photographed
much ground from the air and the images carefully analysed for signs
than a person of minerals.
walking over
the surface of
rocks

Important advantages!

s ing the Im
u , a
By llites oth ges
em l l fro er and
te m
sa syst in a , d
can sate ata
o rks hers als llite
w ea t g h u
an s e d o b e s
w rou ete lar alyse to
th pl ver ge
m
co d co ight. are very
u as .
cl o d at n
an
They can map a large area (1 mark)

It shows the relief of the land (1 mark) Relief = shape of the land

Other answers include – it can reach inaccessible areas, it shows characteristics of rocks, it shows type of
vegetation.

Prospecting OR rock samples for geochemical analysis OR using satellites OR

local surveys OR geophysical analysis

Complete the Practice Exam Questions to test your knowledge so far!

Before companies drill down into the
earth,
what decisions do YOU think need to
be made before we can extract for
minerals?
Think – is mining dangerous?
Destructive? Profitable?
WHAT FACTORS AFFECT THE VIABILITY OF
EXTRACTION?
FACTORS affecting the DECISION to
EXTRACT MINERALS
• Exploration-methods of looking for minerals
• Geology - type of mineral & quality of mineral.
• Accessibility - how to get to the mineral
• Environmental Impact Assessment - how much it
will impact the environment
• Supply and Demand - market value of the mineral
1. Exploration Methods -
Methods of Looking for Minerals
Example: Seafloor Polymetallic Nodules

• Context: In the Pacific Ocean, polymetallic nodules, which are rich in metals
like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper, have garnered interest for
mining.
• Exploration Method: Advanced deep-sea exploration technologies,
including remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and deep-sea drilling, were
used to survey and sample the seabed.
• Decision Influence: The development of these exploration methods
enabled companies to identify significant deposits, leading to increased
interest and investment in seafloor mining projects. However, concerns
about the impact on deep-sea ecosystems have led to caution and slowed
the pace of mining operations
 Decision Factor 2

Geology
• Informs mining conditions
• Geologic structural condition of the land
• The type of mineral resources What type of rock of
rock is it?
• The quality of mineral resources Is the land
stable/safe enough
to mine?
Is there enough
mineral to mine?
2. Geology - Type of Mineral & Quality of Mineral

• Example: Carlin Trend Gold Mine, Nevada, USA

• Context: The Carlin Trend is one of the richest gold mining districts in the
world.
• Geology: The region is characterized by sediment-hosted disseminated
gold deposits (often referred to as "Carlin-type" deposits). These deposits
are generally low-grade, but they occur in very large volumes, making them
economically viable.
• Decision Influence: The unique geological conditions and the substantial
quantity of gold made the Carlin Trend one of the largest and most
profitable gold mining operations in the world, despite the lower grade of
the ore.
 Decision Factor 3

Accessibility
• The transportation condition of mining area
• Technological conditions – The stripping ratio of
mineral, mineral storage, waste storage, climatic
conditions of mining, equipment conditions of
mining.
• Economic development state​ of the perimeter area
How deep do we mine?​
Road access?​
Do we need to build roads?​
Build accommodation for the
miners?
• Greenfield sites have never been mined before
• Brownfield sites have already been mine before
• The strike rate is the likelihood of finding the desired mineral (new
gold is 1:1000)
3. Accessibility - How to Get to the Mineral

• Example: Oyu Tolgoi Copper Mine, Mongolia

• Context: Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world’s largest copper and gold deposits,
located in a remote area of the Gobi Desert.
• Accessibility: The site’s remoteness and harsh desert conditions posed
significant challenges in terms of transportation, infrastructure
development, and supply logistics.
• Decision Influence: The difficulty in accessing the site required substantial
investment in infrastructure, including roads, power plants, and a water
supply system. Despite these challenges, the rich copper and gold deposits
justified the investment, and the mine was developed.
 Decision Factor 4

Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) is a process of
evaluating the likely
environmental impacts of a
proposed project or development.
• The habitat destruction, soil
pollution, water pollution, air
pollution, and noise pollution
from exploitation of resources
is assessed and measured.
4. Environmental Impact Assessment - How Much It Will Impact the
Environment

• Example: Pebble Mine, Alaska, USA

• Context: Pebble Mine is a proposed gold and copper mining project in
Alaska.
• Environmental Impact: The proposed mine is located near Bristol Bay, a
critical habitat for salmon. Concerns about potential environmental impacts,
particularly on water quality and fisheries, have been central to the debate.
• Decision Influence: Extensive environmental impact assessments (EIAs)
revealed significant risks to the ecosystem. As a result, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) blocked the mine in 2021,
highlighting the impact of environmental concerns on mining decisions.
 Decision Factor 5

Supply and Demand

Supply and demand is the relationship between how
much of a commodity is available and how much is
needed or wanted by consumers on the product.
• Market demand state of mineral resources
• Supply state of materials of mineral resources
For example – Congo has large reserves of
Gold for jewellery (Tiffany & Co), and Tungsten
for electronics (Apple, IBM).

https://enoughproject.org/reports/demand-the-supply
5. Supply and Demand - Market Value of the Mineral

• Example: Rare Earth Elements (REE) Mining in the USA

• Context: The global demand for rare earth elements, which are essential
for high-tech industries, including renewable energy and electronics, has
surged.
• Supply and Demand: The majority of the world’s REE supply comes from
China, leading to concerns about supply security. This has driven up the
market value and spurred interest in developing new REE mines in the USA.
• Decision Influence: Increased market value and demand have led to the
reopening of old mines and exploration for new deposits in the U.S., such as
the Mountain Pass mine in California, which resumed operations in response
to the rising value and strategic importance of REEs.
 The cost of extraction (1 mark)

Accessibility (1 mark)

Environmental Impact Assessment (1 mark)

Other answers include – supply and demand, supply of labour.

Complete the Practice Exam Questions to test your knowledge so far!

PLENARY
READ TO EXIT 

Norway approved a plan to begin mining for copper in the Arctic. The mining company said it was
committed to “minimal intrusion in our host community’s way of life”. Torbjoern and also insisted
the project would “contribute positively to the local community, with new jobs and skills”.
Environmental groups fear
• mining for copper would destroy the land reindeer depend on in the summer months.
• dumping mining waste into Repparfjord coastline threatens spawning ground for Atlantic
salmon. Activists said two million tonnes of heavy metal waste will be dumped every year – the
equivalent of 17 lorry loads every hour – into a fjord given special protection to conserve
salmon.Earlier mine waste dumping in the same fjord, at a lower level than planned in the
project approved today, led to a large drop in the salmon populations that took 13 years to
recover. Cod populations have still not returned to their former spawning grounds.
• Environmental charity Earthworks said dumping mine waste in the Repparfjord in the 1970s
“nearly wiped out” the area’s fishing industry.
 Types of mines

MINE TYPE ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Open Pit Mining Easier access to materials Large areas of land damaged, looks unsightly (ugly), causes
Surface mining Large size of mines allow easy access of lots of noise and dust pollution. Produces lots of waste rock
machines and workers (spoil)

Worse for the environment!

Shaft Mining Reaches minerals not accessible by other Most expensive method. Risk of tunnel/shaft collapse,
Sub surface mining methods. Less impact of surface ecosystem. poisonous gases, underground fires and explosions.

Worse for the miners!

Lesson 2: Methods of extracting rocks and
minerals from the earth.
Learning objectives: To be able to state and describe how
both mining types have environmental
To be able to describe different impacts
methods of extraction of rocks
and minerals from the Earth: –
surface mining and subsurface
mining

Starter: Think pair share:

How do we extract rocks
and minerals from the
RECAP QUIZ
1. What are the three main types of rock?
2. Give an example of each type of rock.
3. The difference between intrusive and extrusive rocks?
4. Which rock type are fossils usually found in?
5. What is one difference between a rock and a mineral?
6. What two factors are needed to change a sedimentary rock
into a metamorphic rock?
7. The name of the physical process that breaks rocks into
smaller rocks
8. Igneous rock is formed by the cooling of what?
 We can extract (take) valuable rocks and minerals from
the earth in two ways

Surface mining takes place on the Subsurface (underground) mining

surface of the earth. This can involve takes place below the surface of the
opencast, open-pit , open-cut and earth. This can involve deep
strip mining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
mining and shaft mining.
Surface mining –
opencast/open-pit/op
en-cut

Opencast/open-pit/open-cut mining -
often (but not always) results in a large
hole, or pit, being formed in the process
of extracting a mineral. It can also result
in a portion of a hilltop being removed.

Open-pit mining is the most

common method used
throughout the world for mineral
mining and does not require
Surface mining –
strip mining
Strip mining -In strip mining a
long, narrow strip of mineral is
uncovered by a dragline, large
shovel, or similar type of
excavator. After the mineral has
been removed, an adjacent strip
is uncovered and its overlying
waste material deposited in the
excavation of the first strip.
shaft mining /deep
mining
Shaft mining/deep mining - is the
action of excavating a mine
shaft from the top down, where
there is initially no access to the
bottom.
Mine shafts are vertical or
near-vertical tunnels, which are
"sunk" as a means of accessing
an underground ore/mineral
body, during the development
Deep Thinking Questions

1.What factors need to be considered before

starting up a new mine?

2.Suggest reasons why developing surface mines

is easier than underground mines
Benefits / Positive impacts of
mineral extraction
Pssst! In the extraction of
rocks and minerals, ALL
environmental impacts
are negative.

The ONLY benefits of mining are ​

• Provides employment for people​
• Provides taxes for the government​
• Boosts local and national economies​
• Money made from mining can be used to
develop the nation (reinvest into building
infrastructure, improving
transport services..)
Surface vs subsurface mining
Watch the video and think about…
1. The differences between these techniques
2. The environmental effects/impacts of these techniques

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
SORTING TASK Challenge
Sort these statements into either SURFACE (s) or SUBSURFACE Can you
(U)think of any
other environmental
Surface Mining Subsurface Mining
problems that can be
Mining where the surface layer of the earth is Mining which takes place underground.
removed. caused by mining?
Open cast, open pit, open cut and strip mining.

Challenge
Which of these
methods do you
think is best? Why?
Negative Impacts
• loss of habitat and biodiversity
• noise, water, land, air, visual pollution
• waste
• soil erosion and loss of vegetation
• contamination of soil and water
• sinkholes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCcGwas2ldU

• Workers breathing in harmful dust

• Modern techniques employ less people
When mining companies apply for a license an
environmental impact assessment is carried out
to minimise damage to the environment.
 Psst! Use a ruler!

1 . Draw this table

Surface Mining Impacts Subsurface Mining Impacts

Complete as we
go through the
slides
  Both surface mining and subsurface mining
produce spoil heaps (lots of waste)
.
Challenge – which type of mining do YOU think provides more waste?

Surface Mining!
Surface mining and subsurface mining
 Air pollution from dust and fumes from operational duties e.g.
crushing, refining, and smelting. (Also vehicle exhausts)
Surface mining and subsurface mining
 Water pollution from leachates from mining, heavy metal
contaminations, and other toxic substances. (Kills marine life)
Surface Mining
 These sites do not look aesthetically pleasing (visual pollution) (ugly)
Creates unstable land, (landslides possible) in heavy rain conditions.
Unstable land can cause damage to infrastructure and settlements, cause death,
and injury.
Example
• Aberfan disaster, mining accident that occurred at the Merthyr Vale Colliery
at Aberfan, Wales, on October 21, 1966. The disaster resulted in 144 deaths,
including 116 children.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uIzPWan464

• Watch the clip and think about what happened here? How could this have been
avoided.
What happened?
• For half a century this waste was dumped in spoil tips on the
flanks of Merthyr Mountain, directly above Aberfan. The
underlying geology of this area consisted of sandstone riddled
with underground springs. One Friday morning in October
1966, subsidence occurred in Tip Number Seven after heavy
rain, precipitating a slide of liquefied debris that flowed swiftly
down the mountainside towards the village below, reaching a
depth of 12 m (40 ft) and a reported speed of more than 130
km (80 mi) per hour. It hit Aberfan and smashed into the
Pantglas Junior School, which stood immediately below the
spoil tip, minutes after the pupils had assembled.
Surface Mining
 Mining requires large land clearance (clearance of vegetation)
causing habitat loss for local wildlife causing loss of biodiversity.
 Not only is land cleared for the mine itself but for remote new
mines, infrastructure is required, clearing even more vegetation.
 Open cast mining (surface mining)
leaves bigger land scars than deep
mining.

 This is because as more mining occurs the “pit”

is deepened and widened.
Bingham Canyon mine
Subsurface Mining

Acid mine drainage -

To keep the underground
system of tunnels and mine
shafts clear, mining companies
have to pump out large
amounts of water, which go
into surface ecosystems.
Subsurface Mining

Sinkholes - failure of
a mine roof.
Overburden cavities
eventually cave in
and sinkholes appear
at the surface.
Overburden - -the rock and soil overlying
an economically viable mineral deposit
IMPACTS OF ROCK AND MINERAL
EXTRACTION (MINING)

Negative
What are the
impacts can
positives of
be ecological
mining?
or pollution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=SxsEoq-tKXI
Impacts of exploiting minerals
and environment

Lesson objective:​
To be able to state
and describe how
both mining types
have environmental
impacts
Benefits / Positive impacts of
mineral extraction
Pssst! In the extraction of
rocks and minerals, ALL
environmental impacts
are negative.

The ONLY benefits of mining are ​

• Provides employment for people​
• Provides taxes for the government​
• Boosts local and national economies​
• Money made from mining can be used to
develop the nation (reinvest into building
infrastructure, improving
transport services..)
 Key term
Infrastructure – The facilities and services necessary for a
society to function (for example, hospitals, roads)
Questions
• State the impacts an open-pit mine would have on the
environment (3 marks). (think environmentally!)
- Air pollution
- Noise pollution
- Soil and water contamination

• State the impacts this type of mine would have on the

local community (3 marks) (think economically and
-socially!)
Job opportunities (employment in mining)
- Increase in traffic
- Development of infrastructure (building of roads, for example).

• - Describe one
Air pollution (1 mark) environmental
from the dust (1 mark) impact of open-pit mining (2
- OR Noise pollution (1 mark) from machinery which disturbs wildlife (1 mark)
- marks)
OR Loss of habitat and biodiversity (1 mark) from land clearance / deforestation (1 mark)
Challenge
Beside each of the impacts that you have written, write
beside them if you think they are an ECONOMIC,
ENVIRONMENTAL or SOCIAL factor.
For example
‘spoil heaps (mining waste) are a source of visual pollution’ –
This would be a SOCIAL factor. Why? Because no one wants to
live beside ugly places (can also bring down the house prices
in the area).
 REVIEW and DISCUSS
Economic Benefits VERSUS Environmental consequences

 There are no beneficial environmental impacts

from mining.

 Economic factors drive mining, and the social

factors for people to earn money and make a
living.

 Environmental factors are normally beaten

when decisions are made about mining. (Think
EIAs)
How does the above point about economic factors
PLENARY
• I can explain the environmental impacts of rock and mineral
extraction (mining).
• I know how surface and subsurface mining types create similar
but different environmental impacts
• I understand that mining is generally for our economic and
social benefit, rather than environmental one.
 Deep Thinking Questions

1. Give reasons why illegal mining could be bad for people and the environment?

2. Explain how reduced plant growth can affect an ecosystem.

 Managing the impact of rock
and mineral extraction
Learning objective:

To be able to describe and evaluate strategies for restoring landscapes damaged by rock and mineral
extraction

Starter: Can you remember the

environmental impacts of rock and
mineral extraction? How many can
we come up with without looking
at our notes?
Both surface mining and subsurface mining produce spoil
heaps (lots of waste)

Surface Mining!
Both surface mining and subsurface mining produce air pollution from
dust and fumes from operational duties e.g. crushing, refining, and
smelting. (Also, vehicle exhausts)
Both surface mining and subsurface mining produce water pollution
from the leachates from mining, heavy metal contaminations, and other
toxic substances. (Kills marine life)
Surface Mining sites do not look aesthetically pleasing (produce visual
pollution) (They are ugly)
Both surface mining and subsurface mining can create unstable land, (landslides
possible) in heavy rain conditions.
Unstable land can cause damage to infrastructure and settlements, cause death,
and injury.
Surface mining requires large land clearance (clearance of
vegetation) causing habitat loss for local wildlife and can lead to loss
of biodiversity in the area.
Not only is land cleared for the mine itself but for remote new mines,
infrastructure is required, clearing even more vegetation.
Open-cast mining (surface mining)
leaves bigger land scars than deep
mining.

 This is because as more mining occurs the “pit”

is deepened and widened.
Bingham Canyon mine
Subsurface Mining

Acid mine drainage -

To keep the underground
system of tunnels and mine
shafts clear, mining companies
must pump out large amounts
of water, which go into surface
ecosystems.
Subsurface Mining

Sinkholes - failure of
a mine roof.
Overburden cavities
eventually cave in,
and sinkholes can
appear at the surface.
Overburden - -the rock and soil overlying
an economically viable mineral deposit
These environmental impacts need to be
considered, not only whilst the mine is operational
but also once it closes.
 Managing the impact of rock and mineral
extraction
Big questions: What could we do with mines when the mining has
stopped?
TASK: On the A3 paper I want you to make
a collage of your ideas in groups
What could we do with mines when the mining has stopped?
• I want you to imagine your group is a mining
company.
• You need to come up with your own ideas about what you
think we could do with mines when we have exhausted the
resources available at that location.
• You need to consider the environmental impacts and how
you might counteract these once the mining has stopped.
• You can use diagrams to help with your explanations, but
these ideas need to be your own as a group.
Management of mining should plan Aberfan, Wales
for both safe waste disposal and
land restoration

Safe waste disposal

Waste piles can collapse causing loss of
life, and also increase land and water
pollution.

To get a license, mining companies must

provide a plan to show safe waste
storage and disposal
Land restoration - When mining finishes the
land must be restored
In what ways can the land be restored?
• Improve the soil quality – so that plants can begin to grow
and improve biodiversity in the area.
In what ways can the land be restored?

• Mine waste can be covered with soil, fertilizer, and then plants
and trees planted to attract animals – creating nature
reserves.
In what ways can the land be
restored?
• Non-toxic holes may
also be filled with
water to form lakes.
Polluted areas may
also undergo
bioremediation before
becoming lakes or
nature reserves.
This picture shows an old granite mine in Bornholm, Denmark that
closed in 1970. What do you think has been done? What
effects do you think this has had on the local area?
After bioremediation, land can be turned into nature
reserves but may still be too toxic for housing or
farming.

Here is a former granite quarry in Denmark used to

attract birds.
 REVIEW and DISCUSS
Economic Benefits VERSUS Environmental consequences

 There are no beneficial environmental impacts from mining.

 Economic factors drive mining, and the social factors for people to
earn money and make a living.

 Environmental factors are normally beaten when decisions are made

about mining. (Think EIAs)
How does the above point about economic factors beating
environmental factors make you feel?
Sustainable use of rocks and minerals

Task: write your own definition of the word sustainable

Sustainable = meeting today's social and economic needs while also protecting the
environment and resources for the future.

Sustainable use = use that meets the needs of the present without affecting the
ability of future generations to meet their needs
• Rocks and minerals are finite.

• This means that they are non-renewable.

• Several strategies can be used to make the exploitation of rocks and minerals more

sustainable.

Can you think of

any strategies to
make the
exploitation of
rocks and minerals
more sustainable?
More sustainable extraction More sustainable use and recycling
Replacing rare minerals with more common Recycling materials such as cans and cars
elements
E.G. silicon instead of copper
More efficient extraction by chemically treating waste More efficient engineering (e.g. designing steel
to get more minerals (coal mines usually remove beams in buildings using less steel)
only 55% of reserves)
Improve the machines used for mining and Laws passed by governments for manufacturers
processing to become responsible for recycling and reusing
their products
Greater use of computers and data analysis to locate
suitable sites for mining

Which of these strategies do you think sounds the most

sustainable?
Activity 1 – Campaign Poster/Leaflet
Using your knowledge on Surface and Subsurface mining, create a
poster/information leaflet on the impacts/effects of this activity.

You should include:

- What surface/subsurface mining is
- The impacts they have (positive/negative)
- Specific examples of these mines (with facts and figures,
detailed background)
- Your opinion – i.e. STOP MINING, MORE SUSTAINABLE, SUPPORT
MINING etc
- Suggest solutions to a more sustainable way to mining!

You can do it on paper or on the computer and it should be the

best quality you can produce. Colourful, pictures, facts and
figures, graphs, detailed.
Case Study - The Island Copper Mine,
Canada
Tasks
1. Read the case study and make a fact-file of at least five bullet points about this
copper mine
2. Answer the 3 questions in your exercise books
Challenge task - Which of the two case studies (Peru and Canada) do you
think has better environmental management?
 Documentary Lesson - Mining in
Australia

You will watch this documentary about mining in Australia and make a table of
positive and negative impacts that you see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pUXPYZa9u0

Positive Impacts Negative Impacts

 End of unit recap questions

• You now have end of unit revision questions to assist you with revision before your Unit 1
assessment
• These questions have been uploaded to Google Classroom as a Google document
Key Word Definitions Quiz

1. igneous
2. metamorphic
3. Sedimentary
4. Subsurface mining
5. Surface mining
6. Overburden
7. geology
8. Greenfield site