Contour mining is a method of extracting minerals, particularly in hilly or mountainous regions, that differs from traditional strip mining by closely following the natural shape of the land and the mineral deposit.
Essentially, contour mining involves removing the soil and rock (known as overburden) from along the outcrop (where the mineral seam is exposed) in layers that match the terrain's elevation contours. This is done to access mineral seams that lie relatively close to the surface on hillsides.
Key Characteristics of Contour Mining
Based on the provided reference, contour mining operates with these specific features:
- It is a version of strip mining adapted for hilly and rugged terrain.
- It closely follows the contours of the land and the mineral seam itself. This is crucial because, as the reference states, the mineral seam follows the contour of the outcrop.
- The overburden is removed carefully along the seam.
- Unlike strip mining that might involve large, sweeping cuts, the excavations in contour mining are much smaller and custom shaped to match the specific path of the seam along the hillside, rather than forming long, broad strips.
The Process Simplified
Think of it like peeling layers of an onion along a curved surface. Miners start at the point where the mineral is exposed on the hillside (the outcrop).
- They remove the overburden directly above and immediately adjacent to the exposed mineral seam.
- This removal follows the natural curve (contour) of the hillside and the seam.
- The mineral is then extracted from the newly exposed area.
- They continue this process laterally along the hillside, following the contour of the seam, creating relatively narrow cuts.
This method is distinct because it adapts the mining operation to the existing landscape, digging along the hill rather than making wide, linear cuts across flat land.
