Editing Open-pit mining (section)

{{short description|Surface mining technique}}
{{redirect|Opencast|the open-source software project|Opencast (software)}}
[[File:Twincreeksblast.jpg|thumb|alt=Machinery is minuscule compared to the size of this mine.|[[Rock blasting]] at the large open-pit [[Twin Creeks gold mine]] in [[gold mining in Nevada|Nevada]], United States. Note the size of the excavators for scale (foreground, left), and that the bottom of the mine is not visible.]]
[[File:Ende Gelände 2017 CHB 23 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The giant [[bucket-wheel excavator]]s in the German Rhineland coal mines are among the world's biggest land vehicles.]]

'''Open-pit mining''', also known as '''open-cast''' or '''open-cut mining''' and in larger contexts '''mega-mining''',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Serafini|first=Paula|title=The Argentinian fight against 'mega mining'|url=http://theconversation.com/the-argentinian-fight-against-mega-mining-95672|access-date=2021-04-22|website=The Conversation|date=4 May 2018 }}</ref> is a [[surface mining]] technique that extracts [[rock (geology)|rock]] or [[minerals]] from the earth.

Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially useful ore or rocks are found near the surface where the [[overburden]] is relatively thin. In contrast, deeper mineral deposits can be reached using underground mining.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.nap.edu/read/10318/chapter/5|title=Read "Evolutionary and Revolutionary Technologies for Mining" at NAP.edu|year=2002|doi=10.17226/10318|isbn=978-0-309-07340-0}}</ref>
[[File:Kittilä mine.jpg|thumb|Kittilä Gold Mine in [[Kittilä|Kittilä, Finland]] is the largest primary gold producer in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avkvalves.eu/en/cases/water-cases/agnico-eagle-finland|title=Supplying more than 100 valves to the largest gold mine in Europe|publisher=AVK International|access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mining.com/agnico-has-kittila-operating-permit-restored-expects-30000-oz-of-additional-production/|title=Agnico operating permit restored for Kittila mine in Finland|first=Jackson|last=Chen|publisher=Mining.com|date=27 October 2023|access-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>]]

Open-pit mining is considered one of the most dangerous [[industrial sector|sectors in the industrial world]].{{cnl|date=March 2024}} It causes significant effects to miners' health, as well as damage to the ecological land and water. Open-pit mining causes changes to vegetation, soil, and bedrock, which ultimately contributes to changes in surface hydrology, groundwater levels, and flow paths.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=Jianping|last2=Li|first2=Ke|last3=Chang|first3=Kuo-Jen|last4=Sofia|first4=Giulia|last5=Tarolli|first5=Paolo|date=2015-10-01|title=Open-pit mining geomorphic feature characterisation|journal=International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation|volume=42|pages=76–86|doi=10.1016/j.jag.2015.05.001|issn=0303-2434|hdl=11577/3159353|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Additionally, open-pit produces harmful [[pollutant]]s depending on the type of mineral being mined, and the type of mining process being used.