Mining allows obtaining resources from a mine.
Before proceeding to establish the meaning of the term mining exploitation that concerns us now, it is interesting to determine, first, the etymological origin of the two words that compose it. Both words that come from Latin:
• Exploitation is the result of the sum of three Latin elements: the prefix "ex", which can be translated as "outwards"; the verb "plicare", which is equivalent to "make folds"; and the suffix «-ción», which is synonymous with «action and effect».
• Minera, for its part, comes from the Latin word "mine", and this, in turn, from the Greek. In both cases it was used to refer to a unit of account for money or a unit used to weigh metals.
What is mining exploitation
The verb explode has several uses. Among them, the extraction of wealth or profits from a business can be mentioned. The action and effect of exploiting is known as exploitation .
Mining , for its part, is that belonging to or related to mining (the work carried out in the mines).
Mining exploitation , therefore, is the set of socioeconomic activities carried out to obtain resources from a mine (a mineral deposit). The most remote origins of these exploitations date back to the Paleolithic , since evidence was found in Swaziland that prehistoric men excavated to extract hematite about 43,000 years ago.
Mining can be underground or open pit.
Classification according to type
Mining operations can be divided into two main types: open pit mines or underground mines . In open pit mines, extraction is carried out with large machines on the surface of the ground. In underground mines, however, work is carried out below the surface, mainly with manual labor since large machines cannot enter the tunnels.
Within underground mines, we would have to establish that there are two main types of them:
• Mountain ones, which are those that are above the level of the valley floor. They are identified, among many other things, because they are worked through the galleries that are excavated in the slopes of the aforementioned valley and because they have much easier access.
• Those that are below the aforementioned level. The difficulty of entering them as well as working on them is much greater than in the previous ones. And some are even under the sea.
Mining exploitation, environment and health
Mining is an activity that can generate serious environmental and health problems for its workers . Miners often suffer respiratory problems due to constant inhalation of dust and smoke or contact with toxic substances.
Accidents in underground mining operations are frequent and often tragic. One of the most notable cases took place in August 2010 , when 33 miners were trapped more than 700 meters deep in a mine near Copiapó ( Chile ) for 70 days until they were rescued safe and sound.
It should be noted that there are many mines that exist throughout the world and among the most important are those of Río Tinto, in the Spanish province of Huelva, as they have their origin in the Bronze Age .