This Week Is All Mine
Sunday
Mines are old. The Ngwenya Mine in northwestern Swaziland was mined for iron ores starting at least 42,000 years ago.
Monday
Broadly speaking, there are four main types of mines: Underground mines, which target deeper deposits, surface mines, which target shallower deposits, placer mines, which sift deposits from sediments in water channels and sands, and in-situ mining, which dissolves the target deposit (usually uranium) in place to be processed at the surface.
Tuesday
Globally, the most mined mineral is iron ore, the most mined gemstone is diamond.
Wednesday
The widest mine in the world is The Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, an open pit copper mine stretching a remarkable 2.5 miles wide. In the other dimension, the Mponeng gold mine in South Africa is 2.5 miles deep, with temperatures so high near the bottom (as it gets close to the Earth’s hot center), it requires a sophisticated cooling system for miners to endure it.
Thursday
Though essential for modern economies, mining is dangerous business. It employs about 1% of all workers, yet causes 8% of fatal occupational accidents, and is unsurprisingly among the world’s most dangerous jobs.
Friday
Many mines are abandoned for one reason or another, often because they’re exhausted or became unsafe or uneconomical. Worldwide, the number of these “orphan” mines is estimated in the millions. These mines often create safety and environmental risks, and with the owner entities often long defunct, remediation can be difficult.
Saturday
You may not think about mineral mining much, but you likely need a lot of it to support your standard of living. The average American lifestyle, for example, requires about 40,000 lbs. of mined minerals per year for the things we use daily.