http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/mining/ Mining News. Learn about mining operations, safety and procedures. Follow new developments in the mining field. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 10:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 10:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/mining/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508115835.htm A novel gas sensor system makes it possible to monitor large areas cost-effectively the first time. The patented gas sensor is based on the principle of diffusion, according to which certain gases pass through a membrane faster than others. Using a tube-like sensor it is possible to measure an average gas concentration value over a certain distance without influencing or distorting conditions in the measuring environment. Fri, 09 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508115835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505072838.htm Fungi may have an important role to play in the fate of potentially dangerous depleted uranium left in the environment after recent war campaigns, according to a new report in Current Biology. Fungi can "lock" depleted uranium into a mineral form that may be less likely to find its way into plants, animals, or the water supply. Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505072838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421123231.htm Rising energy and environmental costs may prevent nuclear power from being a sustainable alternative energy source in the fight against global warming, according to a new study. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421123231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105456.htm Data from faint earth tremors caused by wind-driven ocean waves -- often dismissed as "background noise" at seismographic stations around the world -- suggest extreme ocean storms have become more frequent over the past three decades. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other prominent researchers have predicted that stronger and more frequent storms may occur as a result of global warming trends. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417095919.htm A fuzzy logic approach to analyzing water quality could help reduce the number of people in the developing world forced to drink polluted and diseased water for survival. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417095919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401112354.htm There is widespread interest in restoring land damaged by gravel-sand mining, but the high costs of such projects can be off-putting. A new study in Restoration Ecology offers remarkable new evidence that these damaged environments can be effectively restored within about 25 years, and at virtually no cost. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401112354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326201751.htm Pollution from coal mining may have a negative impact on public health in mining communities. "Residents of coal-mining communities have long complained of impaired health," and researchers say "This study substantiates their claims. Those residents are at an increased risk of developing chronic heart, lung and kidney diseases." Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326201751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220130511.htm They may be considered pests, but beavers can help mitigate the effects of drought. Climate models predict the incidence of drought in parts of North America will increase in frequency and length over the next 100 years, and beaver will likely play an important role in maintaining open water and mitigating the impact. Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080220130511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214153536.htm For most northern indigenous people, the roughly 3 million caribou in the world are their most important terrestrial subsistence resource, and while hunters and scientists alike have long expressed concern about the on-going availability of caribou, their perceptions of the causes of change differ. Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080214153536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114090723.htm Like the proverbial coal miners' canary-in-the-cage, seagulls may become living sentinels to monitor oil pollution levels in marine environments. Researchers have known for years that large oil spills can increase levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine environments. Studies have linked these compounds to cancer in humans. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114090723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203120753.htm Scientists are reporting development of a fuel cell that uses pollution from coal and metal mines to generate electricity, solving a serious environmental problem while providing a new source of energy. They describe successful tests of a laboratory-scale version of the device. Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203120753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071018095749.htm Owners of the Antarctic territories may be ill-prepared to face a major environmental challenge to the continent, according to an Australian academic. She said that, with its massive resources of fresh water and unknown quantities of oil, Antarctica could be ripe for exploitation once resources in the rest of the world became scarcer. Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071018095749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071012100630.htm A case study of the world's largest open-pit coal mine reveals the hidden costs of coal from Colombia, in particular the effects on indigenous and Afro-Colombian villages. Opened in 1983, the continual expansion of the Cerrejon mine - at the rate of about 1,482 acres a year - has led to the forced displacement of indigenous Wayuu and Afro-Colombian communities. Some assessments have been made of the environmental effects on ground water, marine life and air quality - all of which affect the rural and fishing communities. Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071012100630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918161624.htm Retrieving material for composting from open dumps across the developing world could reduce the environmental impact of growing mountains of waste, according to researchers. Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918161624.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914105954.htm The key to finding new mineral deposits could be to start looking with a glass of wine or a soft drink. In a surprising piece of spare-time research, scientists has found that chemical ingredients in these drinks have the ability to dissolve weakly-bound metals into solution. Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070914105954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070829102041.htm New technology can warn people if their local water or air is contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals and metal-like substances. They are studying the changes that take place in a unique water microbe when it is exposed to arsenic, cadmium and lead -- industrial and natural contaminants around the world. Sun, 02 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070829102041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070818101731.htm Researchers found native gold, silver and platinum salts in the dust of decayed stumps. A ton of their ashes contains 3 kilograms of silver, nearly 200 milligrams of gold and 5 grams of platinum. Apparently, microbes and trees perform the gold-diggers' function in the forests that grow above ore bodies -- within multiple years they draw soluble salts out of the soil and die off leaving behind the concentrate with "enormous" precious metals content. Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070818101731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817124033.htm The University of Utah Seismograph Stations recorded a magnitude-1.6 seismic event at the time of a Thursday, Aug. 16 "bump" that killed and injured rescuers at a Utah coal mine where six miners were trapped by an Aug. 6 collapse. Seismic waves from the event at about 6:39 p.m. MDT Thursday indicate downward motion, consistent with further settling and collapse within the mountain where the Crandall Canyon mine is located. Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070817124033.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725143452.htm A trio of security vulnerabilities surrounding the use of nuclear power are highlighted in recent research papers. The first threat is at the source of the raw material for nuclear power itself, the uranium mine, processing plant, and transport route. The second threat is from saboteurs with expertise in the industry and the security of nuclear installations. Finally there are security risks at the waste end of the nuclear industry. Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725143452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070716134111.htm Scientists in China are reporting an advance in clean-coal technology that could substantially reduce the cost of producing clean-burning fuels from underground deposits of coal. In a study scheduled for the July 18 issue of ACS's Energy & Fuels, a bi-monthly publication, Lanhe Yang and colleagues focus on coal gasification, a process for making gaseous fuels, similar to natural gas, from coal. Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070716134111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626080602.htm Deep coal seams that are not commercially viable for coal production could be used for permanent underground storage of carbon dioxide generated by human activities, thus avoiding atmospheric release, according to two studies published in the Journal of Environment and Pollution. An added benefit of storing carbon dioxide in this way is that additional useful methane will be displaced from the coal beds. Tue, 26 Jun 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626080602.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070620103302.htm Because coal will continue to provide a substantial portion of US energy for at least the next several decades, a major increase in federal support for research and development is needed to ensure that this natural resource is extracted efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070620103302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070618091252.htm A 4-year study of mercury in crude oil refined in the United States has found that, of the two major sources of U.S. fossil energy mined coal and crude oil crude oil contains much less toxic mercury, on average, than coal. Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070618091252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070527140936.htm In northern Sweden, ore has been mined for several hundred years. Today it is extracted from two mines­-Kirunavaara and Malmberget. In many places around the world, such as Chile and Sweden, copper and gold have also been found near certain iron ores, a fact that has led researchers to believe that these "big three" were formed at the same time, deep down in the crust of the earth. Mon, 28 May 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070527140936.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070522125023.htm Whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) are facing increasing threats from climate change, according to a new report. Key issues are: Changes in sea temperature; declining salinity because of the melting of ice and increased rainfall; sea level rise; loss of icy polar habitats and decline of krill populations in key areas. Wed, 23 May 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070522125023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070517142603.htm A study finds undersea habitats supporting rare and potentially valuable organisms are at risk from seafloor mining scheduled to begin within this decade. Mining of massive sulphide deposits near "black smokers"--undersea hydrothermal vent systems that spew 350-degree Celsius water into the frigid deep-sea environment, and support sulphur-loving bacteria and bizarre worm and clam species--could smother and contaminate these communities, which some biologists argue may represent the origins of life on earth. Mon, 21 May 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070517142603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070515074933.htm Marine reserves have already proved to be a successful way of protecting marine life against commercial fishing. New research shows for the first time how marine reserves could also help in the recovery of corals, which are already suffering the effects of climate change and over-fishing. Wed, 16 May 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070515074933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070424115835.htm Superman's nemesis, kryptonite, is no longer the stuff of fiction. A new mineral matching its unique chemistry -- as described in the film Superman Returns -- has been identified by scientists at the Natural History Museum and Canada's National Research Council. Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070424115835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402102805.htm Heavy metals are present in variable amounts in the natural environment in the UK. Dr. Jennifer Sneddon from Liverpool John Moores University will present the results of a pilot study assessing the use of upland sheep wool as a bio-monitoring device for natural levels of heavy metals in the Lake District and Wales. Fri, 06 Apr 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402102805.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321092710.htm Limited supplies of fuel for nuclear power plants may thwart the renewed and growing interest in nuclear energy in the United States and other nations, says an MIT expert on the industry. Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070321092710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319201016.htm With the largest Superfund site in the USA in his proverbial backyard, University of Montana Research Assistant Professor Heiko Langner knew he had a great laboratory for examining the after effects of mining on local raptor populations. What he didn't expect was the lack of poisons everyone was worrying about and the presence of a particularly dangerous one that no one was looking for: mercury. Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319201016.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319180014.htm A British Geological Survey project funded by the UK Department for International Development has been assisting the Afghanistan Geological Survey over the past two years with scanning, digitising and re-interpreting data from the Aynak Cooper Deposit. This deposit, located 35 km south of Kabul, consists of 240 Mt grading 2.3% Copper. The development of a minerals industry in Afghanistan has a potential value of at least 300 million dollars a year. Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070319180014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308084514.htm The health risks posed by mercury contaminated fish is sufficient to warrant issuing a worldwide general warning to the public, especially children and women of childbearing age, to be careful about how much and which fish they eat. Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308084514.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070222175528.htm University of Queensland research is helping to make narrow-vein mines more efficient. Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070222175528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070122122322.htm A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States has found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact. Tue, 23 Jan 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070122122322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070109172003.htm If indeed "a diamond is forever," the most primitive origins of Earth's so-called black diamonds were in deep, universal time, geologists have discovered. Black diamonds came from none other than interstellar space. Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070109172003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070101113407.htm A new method for detecting cyanide in drinking water and other sources offers numerous advantages over cumbersome existing technology, scientists report in an article scheduled for the Jan. 1 issue of ACS' Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal. Tue, 02 Jan 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070101113407.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061222092509.htm UC Berkeley scientists Jill Banfield and Brett Baker have found some of the smallest organisms known in a sample of slime from a California mine. Their discovery proves the value of a technique called "shotgun" sequencing to identify all organisms in a microbial community, particularly those too small to see in a microscope, those very low in abundance, or those too novel to be picked up by PCR. Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061222092509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061126121153.htm The threat of "dirty" bombs and plans to use nuclear power as an energy source have driven Queensland University of Technology scientists to discover a new, safer way of detecting radioative contamination in the ground. Scientists from Queensland University of Technology have found a way of identifying, from a remote location, uranium deposits that have leached into the soil and water. Sun, 26 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061126121153.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019162104.htm The foremost myth about resource geology is that the world is running out of oil, a University of Washington geologist says, and he wants to dispel that and other false notions about mineral resources. Thu, 19 Oct 2006 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019162104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060826171853.htm Sydney Harbor's seaweeds may be having a deadly effect on the small animals that eat them because they "bio-accumulate" the toxic heavy metals that pollute the harbor's waters, a new study has found. Up to three-quarters of the offspring of small crustaceans that feed on a common brown seaweed, for example, are killed when they are exposed to copper at levels found in some parts of the harbor, laboratory and field experiments have shown. Thu, 07 Sep 2006 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060826171853.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060822173648.htm The same computer methods used by online sales sites to suggest books to customers can help predict the crystal structures of materials, MIT researchers have found. These structures are key to designing new materials and improving existing ones, which means that everything from batteries to airplane wings could be influenced by the new method. Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060822173648.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060817211316.htm Queen's University researchers have devised a "green chemistry" solution to one of the oil industry's biggest problems -- in a cost-effective way. Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060817211316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811080640.htm The world’s first map to show a comprehensive summary of known offshore mineral occurrences has been released for Australia’s vast marine jurisdiction. The map shows the known seafloor locations of minerals, such as copper, gold, silver and diamond, compiled from survey information gathered over many decades. Mon, 14 Aug 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811080640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811191845.htm Mercury pollution can threaten the health of people, fish, and wildlife everywhere, from industrial sites to remote corners of the planet, but reducing mercury use and emissions would lessen those threats, according to a declaration ratified today at an international conference on mercury pollution. Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811191845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060802103513.htm Bacteria play an important role in the formation of gold nuggets in Australia according to new research published this month in the journal Science. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060802103513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060801182958.htm Scientists studying hydrothermal vents, those underwater geysers that are home to bizarre geological structures and unique marine species, have discovered something all too familiar: pollution. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060801182958.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060714174019.htm An international team of scientists will explore the seafloor near Papua New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean later this month with remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles, investigating active and inactive hydrothermal vents and the formation of mineral deposits containing copper, gold and other commercially valuable minerals. Fri, 14 Jul 2006 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060714174019.htm