Mining Basics
This type of mining removes minerals close to the Earth’s surface using large pits.
Open-pit mining
This country is the world’s largest producer of copper.
Chile
What are waste rock?
What miners call the leftover rock after ore extraction.
This metal is commonly used in electrical wiring.
Copper
This term refers to valuable mineral concentration in rock.
Ore
This Canadian province is famous for its gold mining history during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Yukon
What does FIFO stand for?
Fly In Fly Out
This precious metal is often used as a hedge against inflation.
Gold
The process of breaking rock using explosives.
Blasting
The Athabasca Basin in this Canadian province is known for uranium mining.
Saskatchewan
What is an assay?
Laboratory test to determine metal content in a sample.
This metal is critical for batteries in electric vehicles.
Lithium
The waste rock removed during mining operations.
Overburden
This country dominates global lithium production alongside Chile and Argentina.
Austrailia
Abbreviated as ROM, this refers to ore delivered straight from the mine before processing.
Run-of-Mine
This metal is the main component of steel production.
Iron