Study guides · Stuff Every Mining Scout Should Know
Practice facts for the Mining in Society merit badge. Not an official Scouting America credential. Grab a snack: this guide is the friendly version, with the answers explained and a groan-worthy joke waiting at the end of most cards.
Knowing Mining Scout saves you money, time and the occasional embarrassment.
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Short answer: Most materials that cannot be grown
Mining supplies materials that cannot be grown through agriculture or feasibly made in a lab.
Groan of the day: Mining is a rock-solid business.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Potash
Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, gemstones, limestone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay.
Groan of the day: Potash is a real find.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: A valuable constituent
The ore must contain a valuable constituent that can be extracted and sold for profit.
Groan of the day: That ore is worth its weight in gold.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Searching for ore bodies
Modern mining begins with prospecting for ore bodies, then analysis, extraction, and reclamation.
Groan of the day: Prospecting is a searching question.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Final reclamation or restoration
Modern mining ends with final reclamation or restoration of the land after the mine closes.
Groan of the day: Reclamation is a ground-breaking idea.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Ngwenya Mine in Eswatini
The Ngwenya Mine in Eswatini is about 41,000 to 43,000 years old.
Groan of the day: That mine is old as the hills.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Hematite for ochre
Paleolithic humans mined hematite at Ngwenya to make the red pigment ochre.
Groan of the day: Ochre is a pigment of imagination.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Ornamentation and pottery
Egyptians used bright green malachite stones for ornamentations and pottery.
Groan of the day: Malachite is a green with envy.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Hydraulic mining
Romans used water for hydraulic mining, washing ores, and driving simple machinery.
Groan of the day: That method was a wash.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Heating rock then quenching it
Fire-setting heated rock then quenched it with water, cracking it by thermal shock.
Groan of the day: That technique was a crack-up.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Adits
Adits were driven through rock to drain stopes and ventilate workings.
Groan of the day: That adit is a real drain on resources.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Weapons and armor
Growing use of weapons, armor, stirrups, and horseshoes greatly increased iron demand.
Groan of the day: Iron demand was forging ahead.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Black powder
Black powder allowed blasting of rock to loosen and reveal ore veins.
Groan of the day: That was a blast from the past.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Flooding
As miners dug deeper, flooding became a very real obstacle, solved by pumps.
Groan of the day: That problem was a drain.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Copper
Early Americans mined large quantities of copper along Lake Superior's Keweenaw Peninsula.
Groan of the day: That copper story has a nice ring.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Mining of federal lands
Congress passed the act to encourage mining of federal lands in the United States.
Groan of the day: That law was a landmark decision.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Surface and underground
Mining techniques divide into surface mining and sub-surface or underground mining.
Groan of the day: That division is a deep subject.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Valuable minerals in gravel and sand
Placer deposits are valuable minerals within river gravels, beach sands, and unconsolidated materials.
Groan of the day: That deposit is gravely important.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Minerals in veins or layers of rock
Lode deposits have valuable minerals in veins, layers, or grains within rock.
Groan of the day: That lode is a heavy subject.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: That they be soluble
In-situ leaching requires minerals to be soluble, like potash or sodium chloride.
Groan of the day: That method dissolves the problem.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Ammonium nitrate
Ammonium nitrate is the most common explosive used in mining.
Groan of the day: That fact is dynamite.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Sand, stone, and clay
Quarrying is like open-pit mining but refers to sand, stone, and clay.
Groan of the day: Quarrying is a stone-cold business.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Strips surface layers to reveal ore
Strip mining consists of stripping surface layers off to reveal ore underneath.
Groan of the day: That method really strips things down.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Horizontal tunnels
Drift mining uses horizontal access tunnels to reach mineral deposits.
Groan of the day: That tunnel is a straight shooter.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Pillars to support the roof
Room and pillar mining removes ore from rooms while leaving pillars to support the roof.
Groan of the day: That method has strong support.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Removing supporting pillars as miners retreat
In retreat mining, supporting pillars are removed as miners retreat, letting the room cave.
Groan of the day: That is a pillar of the plan.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Concentrate minerals from gravel
In placer mining, minerals are concentrated using sluices or jigs after freeing them from gravel.
Groan of the day: That process is a real gem.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Gangue, the waste material
Mineral processing separates valuable metals or minerals from their gangue, the waste material.
Groan of the day: That separation is a clean break.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Reducing metal to metallic form
Most metals occur as oxides or sulfides and are reduced to metallic form by smelting or electrolysis.
Groan of the day: Smelting is a hot topic.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Waste from ore mills
Ore mills generate large amounts of waste called tailings, which can be toxic.
Groan of the day: Tailings is a waste of space.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Sulfide minerals exposed to air and water
Acid mine drainage occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to air and water, producing acidic runoff.
Groan of the day: That drainage is a real acid test.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: It was transformed from a mine site
The Summit Bechtel Reserve was transformed from a mine site to its current role.
Groan of the day: That reserve really turned over a new leaf.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: To protect the head and eyes
Personal protective equipment like hard hats and safety glasses protects miners from hazards.
Groan of the day: That hat is ahead of the game.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: To protect hearing from loud equipment
Mining equipment generates considerable noise, so earplugs help protect against hearing loss.
Groan of the day: Earplugs are sound advice.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Breathing in harmful dust
Exposure to rockdust can lead to diseases such as silicosis, so respirators protect miners.
Groan of the day: That mask is a breath of fresh air.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: To be seen by equipment operators
High-visibility vests help miners be seen around heavy equipment.
Groan of the day: That vest is a bright idea.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: Warn miners of imminent danger
Monitoring equipment warns miners of imminent danger, and robots and drones may help in rescues.
Groan of the day: That system is a real alarm-ing development.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: By scouting areas too dangerous for people
Robots, drones, and other technology may be used in mine rescues.
Groan of the day: Drones really rise to the occasion.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: It supports sustainability of resources
Recycling affects the sustainability of natural resources and relates to mining.
Groan of the day: Recycling is a re-markable idea.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: For minerals dissolved in seawater or on the floor
Minerals are found dissolved in seawater and on the ocean floor, with special concerns for mining there.
Groan of the day: That is a deep subject.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: To obtain minerals in outer space
Interplanetary mining explores searching for, extracting, and processing minerals in outer space.
Groan of the day: That idea is out of this world.
Sources: Scouting America: Mining in Society
Short answer: Financial viability and risks
A feasibility study evaluates the project's financial viability, technical and financial risks, and robustness.
Groan of the day: That study is a feasible question.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: It tends to reduce it
Commodity price volatility tends to reduce the feasibility of mining.
Groan of the day: Prices go up and down like a mine shaft.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Whether to develop the mine
A feasibility study evaluates financial viability and risks, helping the company decide whether to develop the mine or walk away.
Groan of the day: That study has real feasibility, it makes the plan possible.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Waste rock
Mining often requires removing waste material that is not of immediate interest to reach the deposit.
Groan of the day: Waste not, want not, so miners move it aside.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Cave-ins and rock falls
Cave-ins, rock falls, and exposure to excess heat are known mining hazards.
Groan of the day: A cave-in is no place to fall for a joke.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Silicosis
Exposure to rockdust can lead to diseases such as silicosis, asbestosis, and pneumoconiosis.
Groan of the day: That dust is not just dusting off your shoulders.
Sources: Mining
Short answer: Work in passages filled with mine gases
Mine rescue teams use SCBA to work in passages filled with gases such as firedamp and afterdamp.
Groan of the day: The team breathes easy because the tank does the breathing.
Sources: Mine rescue
Short answer: Miners who know the mine
Most mine rescue teams are miners who know the mine, its machinery, layout, and working practices.
Groan of the day: They know the mine like the back of their hand, and the front too.
Sources: Mine rescue
Short answer: Fire, explosions, and cave-ins
Rescue teams must know procedures for hazards including fire, explosions, cave-ins, toxic gas, and flooding.
Groan of the day: They train for every hazard so nothing catches them off guard.
Sources: Mine rescue
The whole guide on one screen. Screenshot it, print it, stick it on the fridge.
Think of your answer first, then peek.
Most materials that cannot be grown. Mining supplies materials that cannot be grown through agriculture or feasibly made in a lab.
Adits. Adits were driven through rock to drain stopes and ventilate workings.
Ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate is the most common explosive used in mining.
Sulfide minerals exposed to air and water. Acid mine drainage occurs when sulfide minerals are exposed to air and water, producing acidic runoff.
To obtain minerals in outer space. Interplanetary mining explores searching for, extracting, and processing minerals in outer space.
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