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

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: Y+ @. k8 W" ^5 g. @# P; K+ [* Q9 G: STVBNOW 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。; `) G9 P5 S, n. G+ V% C3 H
People have become significant earth movers, outpacing all sources of natural erosion. More and more 公仔箱論壇& M; z) [9 |' j. t- V0 F6 A
of our footprint can be seen from space in many forms, including cities, reservoirs,agriculture and 5.39.217.77:8898+ D3 D' {3 b3 _% x
deforestation. Among the most impressive human scars on the planet are open-pit mines.
* N9 k  w4 Y5 r* kTVBNOW 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。We’ve gathered some of the biggest, most spectacular and interesting mines, as captured by
. A& w2 Q; ~/ q$ q* 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。astronauts and satellites on the following pages.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。' i0 }  F6 w4 s8 \, o

" z( l* ?( U1 @$ _! S5.39.217.77:8898Above: Berkeley Pit, Butte, Montana
7 `- t9 l7 }& Z5 @, eTVBNOW 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. " N7 ]# l% a+ w/ c9 p' l9 j( }
An elaborate system of pumps and drains kept the local water level low enough for mining. 5.39.217.77:88981 Z3 J2 f! l/ k5 G  {' Q
Today, the 1,780 foot-deep pit is filled with around 900 feet of very contaminated water filledtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb6 N/ i4 Z  Y6 W2 J" W$ n% q- N* u
with metals and chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, pyrite, zinc,copper and sulfuric acid. The
8 S6 N$ A$ e( @: o9 }/ ITVBNOW 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.
' k7 I% m$ Y) E0 G! ~. qCurrently, the 1-mile-by-0.5-mile pit is listed as a federal Superfund site with the potential to 5.39.217.77:88982 `, Y. c* @  Z3 _5 V8 o
contaminate surrounding ground water, and,surprisingly, is also a tourist attraction, complete 公仔箱論壇+ z; R- Y' K2 s1 a
with gift shop and$2 admission fee.
4 Z, |5 }: \" f' w2 X! yThis 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。2 e2 I) X0 a4 p2 g4 ~+ h  M/ N

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- t7 k/ h4 I6 }% J, x- itvb now,tvbnow,bttvbEscondida Mine, Chile
! I- u0 o7 c' L  ^. _+ m5.39.217.77:8898The Escondida mine, opened in 1990 at 10,000 feet in northern Chile’s Atacama desert, currently produces 5 q2 m' j7 z9 ^- Y
more copper than any other mine in the world, with 1.5 million tons in 2007, worth more than $10 billion and 公仔箱論壇5 h4 O3 t; W6 V, J/ Z3 K
representing nearly a tenth of world copper production. More than 6,000 people work at the mine.9 }- g+ E  I# F9 k& `2 T0 a
This image was captured in 2000 by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer TVBNOW 含有熱門話題，最新最快電視，軟體，遊戲，電影，動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。) P2 u2 V, U0 b# n$ i
aboard NASA’s Terra satellite.
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Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah, Y* o0 z- _0 s8 W9 p& P
Located 20 miles outside Salt Lake City in the Oquirrh Mountains, the Bingham Canyon copper pit has produced tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb! F) Q$ o8 m) |! ]- _$ U3 }6 n  }
more than 18million tons of copper over its lifetime, more than any other mine in the world. The pit is about 2.75 5.39.217.77:8898) h! c! F. `6 T
miles wide and 4,000 feet deep. Two Empire State buildings stacked one on top of the the other wouldn’t reach 7 w" o$ |- N0 h+ S- p
the top. By 2015, the mine will be 500 feet deeper, and a third Empire State building will fit inside. The terraces
% g6 ~( K1 W! Z' |9 q0 `5 v1 E3 J1 t/ Zinside the pit,which provide a base for the digging equipment and also stabilize the slopes, can be more than 80
4 X5 ]/ _* R3 L: btvb now,tvbnow,bttvbfeet high. Opened in 1904, the site has been named a historic landmark.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。) q7 L- c  Q+ n! k+ j6 d
This photograph was taken Sept. 20, 2007, by astronauts aboard the International Space Station with a digital
* E7 G2 s0 g6 S  T0 h' A公仔箱論壇camera and an 800mm lens.
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3 k4 l9 o$ f/ Xtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbYuba River Goldfields, California.5.39.217.77:8898! p- m4 D6 U/ `% e  m
The Yuba Goldfields are a strange culmination of years of pressure-jet mining for gold upstream in the Sierra Nevada,
% C( K* B0 q' o. q/ `" \7 Jdredging the tailings out of the river, and mining the tailings for gold and then later for gravel. The result is an odd
2 o4 r  W/ m; @$ {9 ~landscape of reddish-brown and gray hills of gravel with water-filled ravines in between.
& |5 [# A! A( w; L, Q. m5 MShortly after gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevadain 1848, panning gave way to highly destructive hydraulic 5.39.217.77:88985 |6 K- C! U6 ~3 {5 h
mining, which involves blasting sediment away with high-powered jets of water. Gold was extracted from the gravel,
7 t8 ?0 P: g! {8 i# K" vwhich was then dumped and carried downstream by rivers into the Sacramento Valley. The Yuba River ended up with tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb2 ?* r1 {3 b9 ]6 x) J2 V
685 million cubic feet of the mine waste, which raised the level of the river, overflowed the banks and buried farms.
2 H8 b" u% O. J8 [* [* }+ c公仔箱論壇Dredging of the Yuba began in 1893, and soon after,mining companies began to sift and re sift through the debris to
1 Q3 v; d4 M! J5 X+ A" \extract ever-smaller bits of gold. By 1970, all economically feasible gold removal had been completed, and mining of the
: Q! M; n4 o1 ?% A# E7 }: I5.39.217.77:8898gravel for concrete began. Today, ownership of the land is disputed among mining companies, private owners and the government.
) l- u3 g4 a0 {$ P) k+ i. cTVBNOW 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 image was taken by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite Aug. 29, 2001.
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5 J: b  d9 B0 X3 K/ }( t5 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。Toquepala Copper Mine, Peru
! G3 |& @9 \: f0 ?4 j公仔箱論壇Located in the Andes Mountains in southern Peru, the Toquepala mine is 1.5 miles wide and 2,300 feet deep.
, h. _# B! ^2 j+ p2 l) j  Q" [- W5.39.217.77:8898The mine’s main output is copper, but it also produces gold, silver and molybdenum. The railroad that was 5.39.217.77:8898- g4 T% Y6 }7 l" Z9 P
constructed to carry the ore 60 miles to the coast can be seen winding down a canyon left of the center,
  f8 S8 j8 u# X& o公仔箱論壇heading southwest from the mine. This image was captured by astronauts aboard the International Space tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb) b2 H# @4 ]+ J1 X' b3 b9 k1 `- C5 C
Station on Sept. 22, 2003.
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Freeport Mine, IndonesiaTVBNOW 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 {- D: t: b) C/ @6 v* I
The Freeport Mine, also known as the Grasberg complex,is a huge mining operation in Indonesia’s Sudirman / C1 j( v* x7 |! w
Mountains. Copper was discovered here in 1936, and gold was first found in 1988. Today,the mine is one of 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。4 S$ b5 f! [& O2 l6 K$ Z
the largest gold- and copper-extraction operations in the world. The open pit is 2.5 miles wide, and there is ' o, S& x% i3 k4 i. S
extensive underground mining in the area as well. Glaciers are also visible in the image.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb1 ^, \2 I8 |& i2 z4 I* J
This photograph was taken June 25, 2005, by astronauts on the International Space Station.
0 U% q/ K3 t2 p# G, I' 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。
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4 l2 d% W& d- g/ o% k4 \5 [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。Cananea Mine, Mexico5.39.217.77:8898! z: f  I$ d- `/ B+ E* V$ P9 m3 i' n
The Cananea mine is located 25 miles south of the United States border in Sonora, Mexico. The active Colorada % |) A2 O8 s; j/ s! V
Pit in the upper right is 1.6 miles across. It is one of the largest copper producers in the world and also contains
6 Z1 N- w4 k9 T5.39.217.77:8898gold. Those two metals are often found together where hot magma forced its way up into the overlying bedrock. tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ o3 v6 V4 q6 k$ q2 ?' k1 j1 L! p! G  O
The magma crystallized there while hot fluids circulated through it and into fractures in the surrounding rock,altering
9 [7 M# G0 D$ @% xthe rock to produce copper-rich minerals and gold.
. `0 n3 \: a0 _% B# k( L. }A 1906 miner’s strike at Cananea turned violent and resulted in 19 deaths, contributing to events that led to the tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ t8 F5 A  P3 ]  \  h9 D$ Z2 e
Mexican Revolution in 1910. Another strike stopped work at the mine in 2007.
4 L- l6 I& g, R9 U1 Y! q3 L/ D5.39.217.77:8898This image was taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station on March 3, 2008.
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Phosphate Mines, Jordan
# k4 O. J0 G( ~) z, o5.39.217.77:8898Phosphate mining is an important industry in Jordan,which has abundant deposits of the mineral on approximately 60 公仔箱論壇7 N( v& Z4 U# F; q. X
percent of its territory. Phosphorus is essential to living things, and food can’t be produced without it. Some scientists
7 U4 h7 J5 ^! c) ^1 B1 |公仔箱論壇fear a shortage of this critical resource is impending and have predicted the world will reach “Peak Phosphorus,” the
% P6 T/ W8 [1 u# |9 Q, Y公仔箱論壇point at which production will begin to decline, just 30 years from now. There is currently no synthetic alternative.
; V; _, Z, Q+ F* Y' K$ I6 GThis image was capture by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer on NASA’s Terra ' U4 ?; s( G3 G5 Z4 ?; [
satellite Sept. 17, 2005. It is a false-color composite of visible and infrared images. Vegetation appears red, water is tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb8 N3 i& B8 N' N$ _' p4 y
blue, and rock and soil can be anywhere from buff to black. The mining operation is the area just left of center in the
" y5 L/ G" J! k& }5 \lower part of the image that appears striped.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb+ P, D( ]" _6 t9 K; T
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5 X2 u# D/ ~( }' l3 g4 _New Cornelia Mine, Arizona
( @6 Q( z! J6 f- h1 o1 c9 }4 ^tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbCopper was first mined from this area just south of the mining town of Ajo, Arizona, around 1750. The open-pit mine pictured
! s8 Q" B* I7 I5.39.217.77:8898above began being excavated in earnest in 1912. It was shut down in 1983 when the price of copper dropped. The scalloped 公仔箱論壇) }; c$ |) e4 h  L( e/ Q9 D
land just to the right of the mine is covered in tailings, and the large gray rectangles above that are containment ponds where
2 ^( [3 c! f5 Ytvb now,tvbnow,bttvbthe metal was extracted.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb& J; P0 Q  Q% ^1 Y6 |! N+ R; i$ o
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Hambach Coal Mines, Germany
0 q! c/ \5 U# L+ Z+ KThe bright white-and-dark-blue–striped areas on the right side of this image are opencast coal mines in mid western Germany.
: J* ^( H5 K4 c* `. y5.39.217.77:8898One of the mines is currently being worked by the Bagger 293, the largest machine in the world.The bucket-wheel excavator tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb) W% [4 b& ?9 |! }/ J- n
is 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.
; k+ ~4 L; X8 `- `tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbThis image, captured by the Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer aboard NASA’s Terra satellite
. G% x$ s7 r6 r* M5 G0 iTVBNOW 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。Aug. 26, 2000, is a simulated natural-color image. The bright-green rectangular patches are crops, the gray patches are tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb( M8 s+ R4 _' q% t0 M* k
bare ground, and the bluish-gray areas are towns.