area mining

mining

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 17, 2026

Quick Summary

Mining is the process of extracting valuable minerals from the Earth's surface. Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances with a defined chemical composition and physical properties, though coal is often included. Ore refers to metalliferous minerals or aggregates that can be mined profitably.1

Area mining is a type of strip mining used for near-surface, flat-lying deposits. It involves creating parallel trenches, or strips, to remove overburden and expose the mineral seam. The overburden from new cuts is used to fill the voids of previous ones. This method is suitable for minerals like coal and phosphate. Reclamation of the land is a standard part of modern mining operations.23

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

strip mining
…strip-mining techniques are classified as area mining or contour mining on the basis of the deposit geometry and type. The cycle of operations for both techniques consists of vegetation clearing, soil removal, drilling and blasting of overburden (if needed), stripping, removal of the coal or other mineral commodity, and reclamation.
Read More
…strip-mining techniques are classified as area mining or contour mining on the basis of the deposit geometry and type. The cycle of operations for both techniques consists of vegetation clearing, soil removal, drilling and blasting of overburden (if needed), stripping, removal of the coal or other mineral commodity, and reclamation.
Read More