open pit mine
Giant terraced hole
An open pit mine is a large excavation in the earth's surface for extracting minerals or ore, created by removing successive layers of rock and soil rather than tunneling underground.
The resulting cavity typically forms a terraced, bowl-shaped depression that can stretch miles across and thousands of feet deep.
Also called an open-cast mine or strip mine, though strip mining specifically refers to removing surface layers to reach horizontal deposits like coal.
- quarryPit for extracting rock
- excavationAct of unearthing
- oreMetal-bearing rock
- copperReddish-brown metallic element
- coalCombustible sedimentary rock
bulldozer · dump truck · terraces · benches · blast · blast zone · dynamite · heavy equipment · crater · tailings · slag · dust · machinery · dragline · shovel · earth mover · overburden · mineral
- mininggold, coal, oil, shafts, silver
- resource sitesquarry, oil well, oil field, gas field, oil rig
- diamond miningkimberlite, excavation, rough diamond, rough diamonds, De Beers
- gold sourcesore deposit, vein, lode, nugget, seam
- metal miningore veins, mineral veins, hematite, copper ore, smelting
- copper miningcopper ore, copper production, smelting, refining, flotation
open pit mineunderground mine
Subsurface mineral extraction site
deep mine · pristine wilderness · nature preserve · reclaimed land
open pit minenature preserve
Protected natural habitat area
wilderness area · protected land · national park · reclaimed land · conservation area
open, mine, opened, opening, opens, opener, openly, openness, reopen