Mining Engineering

About Mining Engineering

Mining Engineering is a free general knowledge quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 6 easy, 5 medium, 4 hard questions. Dig deep into questions about mining engineering and the world's greatest mines! A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.

A few sample questions

1. 1. The Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah is the world's largest man-made excavation. What type of mine is it?

   Answer: Open-pit mine

   The Bingham Canyon Mine (also called Kennecott Copper Mine) is the world's largest open-pit mine, measuring over 4 km wide and 1.2 km deep. It has been in continuous operation since 1906, primarily producing copper.

2. 2. What is the deepest mine in the world?

   Answer: Mponeng Gold Mine, South Africa

   The Mponeng Gold Mine in South Africa reaches depths of approximately 4 km (2.5 miles) below the surface. At such depths, rock temperatures can exceed 60 degrees C, requiring massive cooling systems for miners to work.

3. 3. What does 'open-pit mining' (also called open-cast mining) involve?

   Answer: Extracting minerals from a large surface excavation

   Open-pit mining involves extracting minerals by digging a large, terraced hole in the earth's surface, creating a pit that gradually deepens. It is used when ore deposits are near the surface and is more economical than underground mining for such deposits.

4. 4. The California Gold Rush began in 1848 after gold was discovered at which location?

   Answer: Sutter's Mill

   Gold was discovered on January 24, 1848, at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, by James W. Marshall. This discovery triggered the California Gold Rush, bringing approximately 300,000 people to California from around the world.

5. 5. What is a 'shaft mine'?

   Answer: A mine accessed by a vertical tunnel (shaft) drilled into the ground

   A shaft mine is an underground mine accessed through a vertical tunnel (shaft) that descends from the surface to the ore body. An elevator (cage or skip) transports miners and equipment up and down the shaft.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Canaries were used in coal mines as early warning systems for carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases. Because canaries are more sensitive to toxic gases than humans, a distressed canary warned miners to evacuate immediately.
• ✓The Witwatersrand Basin has produced approximately 40% of all the gold ever mined on Earth, totaling over 50,000 tonnes. The city of Johannesburg grew up around the gold mining industry in this basin.
• ✓Longwall mining is an underground coal mining method where a long wall of coal (typically 250-400 meters) is mined in a single slice. A mechanical shearer cuts coal from the face while hydraulic roof supports advance behind it.