What is Open pit mining?

About Open pit mining:

• What is it? Open-pit mining, also known as opencast mining, is a surface mining technique that extracts minerals from an open pit in the ground.
• It is the most common method used worldwide for mineral mining and does not require extractive methods or
• It is an appropriate extraction method when mineral or ore deposits are found relatively close to the earth's surface, which is overlain by relatively thin vegetation, topsoil, and rock (collectively called overburden).
• It uses a series of level surfaces or benches to reach the deposit, forming an open pit that looks similar to an inverted pyramid.
• Open-pit mines undergo constant expansion until all mineral resources are exhausted.
• Most of the world's annual output of copper, gold, and iron ore is from open-pit mining
• Other commodities produced from open-pit mining include diamonds, molybdenum, manganese, lead and zinc, uranium, and a variety of industrial minerals, such as borates, talc , etc.
• Open-pit mining has higher productivity, lower operating costs, and is relatively safer than other mining methods.

• Environmental effects of open pit mining:
• It consumes enormous amounts of water;
• heavily pollute water and air;
• disfigures landscapes;
• permanently destroys habitat;
• the pit area retains elevated risks of erosion and flooding even after pits are exhausted.