Editing Overburden

{{Short description|Material that lies above the resource to be mined}}
[[File:Overburden-dredge-yallourn.jpg|thumb|Overburden at a coal mining site]]
In [[mining]], '''overburden''' (also called '''waste''' or '''spoil''') is the material that lies above an area that lends itself to economical exploitation, such as the rock, soil, and ecosystem that lies above a [[coal]] seam or [[ore]] body. Overburden is distinct from [[tailings]], the material that remains after economically valuable components have been extracted from the generally finely milled ore. Overburden is removed during [[surface mining]], but is typically not contaminated with toxic components. Overburden may also be used to restore an exhausted mining site during [[Mine reclamation|reclamation]].<ref>Kogel, Jessica Elzea (editor) (2006) ''Industrial minerals & rocks: commodities, markets, and uses'' (7th edition) Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (U.S.), Littleton, Colorado, [https://books.google.com/books?id=zNicdkuulE4C&pg=PA379 page 379], {{ISBN|0-87335-233-5}}</ref>

'''Interburden''' is material that lies between two areas of economic interest, such as the material separating coal seams within strata.<ref>United States Bureau of Mines (1980) ''Selective Interburden Handling Techniques'' National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia, {{OCLC|42983831}}</ref><ref>Peng, Syd S. (1986) ''Coal Mine Ground Control'' (2nd edition), Wiley, New York, page 303, {{ISBN|0-471-82171-3}}</ref>

==Analogous uses==
Overburden is also used for all soil and ancillary material above the [[bedrock horizon]] in a given area.

By analogy, overburden is also used to describe the soil and other material that lies above a specific [[geologic feature]], such as a buried [[astrobleme]], or above an [[Excavation (archaeology)|unexcavated]] site of [[archeological]] interest.

In [[particle physics]], the overburden of an underground laboratory may be important to shield the facility from [[cosmic radiation]] that can interfere with experiments.

In [[arboriculture]], the word is also used for the soil over the top of the [[root]]s of a tree collected from the wild.

==See also==
* [[Gangue]]
* [[Spoil tip]]
* [[Tailings]]

==Notes==
<references />

==References==
* Bates, R.L., and Jackson, J.A., (1987) ''Glossary of geology'' American Geological Institute, Alexandria, Virginia.
* Haering, K. C.; Daniels W. L. and Roberts J. A. (1993) "Changes in mine soil properties resulting from overburden weathering" ''Journal of environmental quality'' 22(1): pp.&nbsp;194–200.
* McFee, W.W.; Byrnes, W.R. and Stockton, J.G. (1981) "Characteristics of coal mine overburden important to plant growth" ''Journal of environmental quality'' 10(3): pp.&nbsp;300–308.

==External links==
{{Wiktionary-inline|overburden}}

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Mining terminology]]