Huge Holes in the Earth: Open-Pit Mines Seen From Space

bchew

# ^, j# g5 I+ G4 [0 f7 N公仔箱論壇
8 O4 b+ I" g. Q* D

: x  G- ~. L  e2 _! `7 ?公仔箱論壇
8 `4 ]4 P7 _- b: q2 _公仔箱論壇People have become significant earth movers, outpacing all sources of natural erosion. More and more
6 G9 g2 J3 z& Z! q公仔箱論壇of our footprint can be seen from space in many forms, including cities, reservoirs,agriculture and 公仔箱論壇* H3 }( t' R0 d, Y+ P. R: x1 f4 e
deforestation. Among the most impressive human scars on the planet are open-pit mines.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb8 Q- b/ s8 F! N1 x* s+ x; z* F
We’ve gathered some of the biggest, most spectacular and interesting mines, as captured by 5.39.217.774 u2 j, y. X6 s, S; w
astronauts and satellites on the following pages.
4 u; y9 n" U7 ^+ J; H9 B0 {' _% ^% ]+ w3 E! m$ d; f" _
Above: Berkeley Pit, Butte, Montana
! C. J( b1 n$ gTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。This former copper mine operated between 1955 and 1982. Gold and silver were also mined.
3 p) @5 j, f6 y; `% a% ^5 G: Z公仔箱論壇An elaborate system of pumps and drains kept the local water level low enough for mining. 公仔箱論壇& r! Z$ U" o9 u
Today, the 1,780 foot-deep pit is filled with around 900 feet of very contaminated water filled
4 \2 K" E* E: Htvb now,tvbnow,bttvbwith metals and chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, pyrite, zinc,copper and sulfuric acid. The
( B5 I& p/ x4 e" f/ q( I% N6 M9 _TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。water can be as acidic as battery acid,and copper can actually be “mined” directly from the water.
" |+ I2 u4 S8 Y) O- _7 U6 G公仔箱論壇Currently, the 1-mile-by-0.5-mile pit is listed as a federal Superfund site with the potential to
% _3 I  s- I9 Q5 rcontaminate surrounding ground water, and,surprisingly, is also a tourist attraction, complete tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb) F0 @1 W, T7 L/ b& R' c
with gift shop and$2 admission fee.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。7 a% ~/ _& m; \/ X' B( u
This photograph was taken Aug. 2, 2006, by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。" s' r4 n  {; h+ N, D4 g% z
$ ?( s0 N- W6 \+ e5 a

! _" P4 s( M3 h  j$ G$ m5.39.217.77
! x" p  n) N: z9 nTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Escondida Mine, Chile
: m8 L! b" Q# z2 G% `* O公仔箱論壇The Escondida mine, opened in 1990 at 10,000 feet in northern Chile’s Atacama desert, currently produces
: a+ [9 e( d% \% _- l+ S5 N: hTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。more copper than any other mine in the world, with 1.5 million tons in 2007, worth more than $10 billion and TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。  [, z+ V8 v: ^  ?' H; H
representing nearly a tenth of world copper production. More than 6,000 people work at the mine.+ J: o4 z0 t2 O1 o
This image was captured in 2000 by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer ; h; t& f# |) s6 O
aboard NASA’s Terra satellite.
" p1 S* z  P6 N9 p5 T; A: j- \7 `( Vtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb
; r4 _6 ^6 [0 k2 |' @1 Ltvb now,tvbnow,bttvbTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。3 P, ]/ n$ N- E; f1 O

4 @$ C; [7 E- h$ K9 a5.39.217.77Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah
/ x: t  j( q2 R2 ltvb now,tvbnow,bttvbLocated 20 miles outside Salt Lake City in the Oquirrh Mountains, the Bingham Canyon copper pit has produced
& y. W) V% Y1 x公仔箱論壇more than 18million tons of copper over its lifetime, more than any other mine in the world. The pit is about 2.75
* x0 K# g* Z& wtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbmiles wide and 4,000 feet deep. Two Empire State buildings stacked one on top of the the other wouldn’t reach
4 E" m* h4 t! c9 D8 B5.39.217.77the top. By 2015, the mine will be 500 feet deeper, and a third Empire State building will fit inside. The terraces 公仔箱論壇  ^& q) c! f4 `
inside the pit,which provide a base for the digging equipment and also stabilize the slopes, can be more than 80 $ ?: r0 A% X4 @. Y
feet high. Opened in 1904, the site has been named a historic landmark.
7 i9 j- Z& T( \9 g& w! ~5.39.217.77This photograph was taken Sept. 20, 2007, by astronauts aboard the International Space Station with a digital tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb8 c" P/ j* @6 h( \( n
camera and an 800mm lens.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。+ W$ _8 \- `2 w

; J' L2 \9 r7 r' Z公仔箱論壇
+ ^+ x  x7 f: r4 q5.39.217.77
$ H& p- O2 U4 i5 Z, DTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Yuba River Goldfields, California.
& F* n1 ]5 v, r* T8 U( f! Z. e5.39.217.77The Yuba Goldfields are a strange culmination of years of pressure-jet mining for gold upstream in the Sierra Nevada, TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。- [, Z3 W1 @/ Y5 ]4 e
dredging the tailings out of the river, and mining the tailings for gold and then later for gravel. The result is an odd TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。2 N8 o/ {% G2 V' I
landscape of reddish-brown and gray hills of gravel with water-filled ravines in between., z4 H* L  X5 `5 r* O3 }/ s
Shortly after gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevadain 1848, panning gave way to highly destructive hydraulic
7 d3 p6 \/ C: D! x2 ~; xTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。mining, which involves blasting sediment away with high-powered jets of water. Gold was extracted from the gravel, 5.39.217.77% |3 I& X7 G2 p  a1 u9 ]- d
which was then dumped and carried downstream by rivers into the Sacramento Valley. The Yuba River ended up with 6 [6 ]2 Q/ z, z5 o5 e' d
685 million cubic feet of the mine waste, which raised the level of the river, overflowed the banks and buried farms.5.39.217.77, I) _" Z# h9 i9 I4 `
Dredging of the Yuba began in 1893, and soon after,mining companies began to sift and re sift through the debris to tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb8 z" K" Q/ N7 [1 F9 _
extract ever-smaller bits of gold. By 1970, all economically feasible gold removal had been completed, and mining of the tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb6 q  h3 l* ]# ^  y3 b* V: F7 I
gravel for concrete began. Today, ownership of the land is disputed among mining companies, private owners and the government.
" g$ x4 X  o0 z7 q3 }5 W  Z0 G公仔箱論壇This image was taken by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite Aug. 29, 2001.- P7 H  c( G- s  |( Y9 A6 x, S

& K3 M8 t9 A6 U0 r+ \- f" e
1 e# |" s3 m+ r公仔箱論壇公仔箱論壇8 O$ l' Q2 U6 U* S
Toquepala Copper Mine, PeruTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。8 T5 G/ P7 v; n9 F& t2 ]6 z
Located in the Andes Mountains in southern Peru, the Toquepala mine is 1.5 miles wide and 2,300 feet deep.
3 [1 d+ H4 m3 z4 J! ^TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。The mine’s main output is copper, but it also produces gold, silver and molybdenum. The railroad that was
7 q$ L* h- z6 z9 W' _公仔箱論壇constructed to carry the ore 60 miles to the coast can be seen winding down a canyon left of the center, TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。0 J5 S+ o5 g4 q" h3 d( N
heading southwest from the mine. This image was captured by astronauts aboard the International Space
9 ~% Y0 G) {- b# |* A7 K0 d  ?公仔箱論壇Station on Sept. 22, 2003.
- ]1 t8 q5 R8 b7 _6 Ztvb now,tvbnow,bttvb
1 @3 A7 V7 ]' ~$ b' ?7 t
  @$ K$ h! Y2 d6 z7 M' k" X! {TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。5.39.217.774 p( o8 `* o* W$ B+ d8 |( x9 b; Y  \: }
Freeport Mine, Indonesia
; L: ~, [+ L) S& `3 _. y. j5.39.217.77The Freeport Mine, also known as the Grasberg complex,is a huge mining operation in Indonesia’s Sudirman
% Y; Z; W) g/ q! f# M$ F: O8 Z& |8 oMountains. Copper was discovered here in 1936, and gold was first found in 1988. Today,the mine is one of 5.39.217.778 S( R! h( T* J& q. J/ _. Q
the largest gold- and copper-extraction operations in the world. The open pit is 2.5 miles wide, and there is 5.39.217.77: C8 @% ]$ a  _. X
extensive underground mining in the area as well. Glaciers are also visible in the image.
  u' d. x% R, F$ ^) r+ A4 ^  w! |% Rtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbThis photograph was taken June 25, 2005, by astronauts on the International Space Station.5 z8 I) w' y( _% U# O+ k" a
公仔箱論壇# Q! Y: f. [& M1 b# p% ]' A) D; n

; r0 k9 K# I* Z8 {tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb
" Q: \3 g& F1 u: X: @. e* Mtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbCananea Mine, Mexico5.39.217.77% e$ b* T6 {" r! d" D/ G
The Cananea mine is located 25 miles south of the United States border in Sonora, Mexico. The active Colorada
  Z) ?6 }" c" ]6 Q/ f1 {8 b公仔箱論壇Pit in the upper right is 1.6 miles across. It is one of the largest copper producers in the world and also contains ; P7 ^& _0 `, U' R1 D! a( J8 [- S
gold. Those two metals are often found together where hot magma forced its way up into the overlying bedrock. 公仔箱論壇0 a0 l8 z* [) Q) i
The magma crystallized there while hot fluids circulated through it and into fractures in the surrounding rock,altering
; a% d1 n8 R% ?; k& PTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。the rock to produce copper-rich minerals and gold.
9 \& J. N1 s, v  WTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。A 1906 miner’s strike at Cananea turned violent and resulted in 19 deaths, contributing to events that led to the
" j6 r" A9 e- q* |7 Y+ V) ^公仔箱論壇Mexican Revolution in 1910. Another strike stopped work at the mine in 2007.
5 r: V5 w+ Z% v9 B- c& ]# gtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbThis image was taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station on March 3, 2008.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。2 T: s  l/ X/ Z

/ P/ x+ o0 |! c6 W* |/ p" ^! s6 h# Ftvb now,tvbnow,bttvb
& j$ R) O+ O" N4 Y3 UTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。
7 B5 [* Q7 t: IPhosphate Mines, JordanTVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。* ?1 E; L1 i( I0 j* E5 i
Phosphate mining is an important industry in Jordan,which has abundant deposits of the mineral on approximately 60 tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb+ e! A$ ?  N( k$ _# ?
percent of its territory. Phosphorus is essential to living things, and food can’t be produced without it. Some scientists TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。8 T4 {$ g" E, u3 P; K3 ?+ J
fear a shortage of this critical resource is impending and have predicted the world will reach “Peak Phosphorus,” the
0 }" P4 W& O8 M/ z5.39.217.77point at which production will begin to decline, just 30 years from now. There is currently no synthetic alternative.
& X: X+ u" g! G8 ~; V! G/ JThis image was capture by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra 公仔箱論壇4 b- D( s+ X# f: l
satellite Sept. 17, 2005. It is a false-color composite of visible and infrared images. Vegetation appears red, water is TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。  S; Y- z. v2 O0 C0 N' D: A
blue, and rock and soil can be anywhere from buff to black. The mining operation is the area just left of center in the
! y) b+ o* ^$ Klower part of the image that appears striped.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。% e" t& h' ^  h
- _- i  L# w/ G1 s
公仔箱論壇6 `# ^& a9 K4 q2 u6 q. s& P

  k7 Y% K. }) v" n2 itvb now,tvbnow,bttvbNew Cornelia Mine, Arizona
) e  V- `" ]- n8 f: R4 Q公仔箱論壇Copper was first mined from this area just south of the mining town of Ajo, Arizona, around 1750. The open-pit mine pictured
. u, P2 y( P$ V1 r2 i. a* Yabove began being excavated in earnest in 1912. It was shut down in 1983 when the price of copper dropped. The scalloped TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。+ q1 M7 i4 w% `: P3 I
land just to the right of the mine is covered in tailings, and the large gray rectangles above that are containment ponds where
; t3 F4 P, a) I8 ]4 ?+ q- b: [公仔箱論壇the metal was extracted.* \* X$ r' E; f& `1 r5 j* M* m6 i
5.39.217.77# _" ]9 W3 x( b% L$ h: B
tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb& z( [, R3 e) ^9 k2 c

$ l0 J7 b4 M" M( q1 v  }' O5.39.217.77Hambach Coal Mines, Germany
: H4 Y  {4 W; r) [The bright white-and-dark-blue–striped areas on the right side of this image are opencast coal mines in mid western Germany. 5.39.217.779 A6 J6 s7 p* P2 h4 H6 _
One of the mines is currently being worked by the Bagger 293, the largest machine in the world.The bucket-wheel excavator
8 v+ v9 o4 q  M# G* y' n7 O% c5.39.217.77is twice as long as a soccer field and a stall as a 30-story building, and digs up 30 million tons of lignite per year.5.39.217.775 C, T* o. N+ l2 \
This image, captured by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer aboard NASA’s Terra satellite
! \$ E' o9 K7 }公仔箱論壇Aug. 26, 2000, is a simulated natural-color image. The bright-green rectangular patches are crops, the gray patches are
- w( J$ G" A4 `. L% t. R0 ?tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbbare ground, and the bluish-gray areas are towns.