open-pit mine

Type of mining that is used for shallow deposits; coal or ore is extracted by digging a succession of benches from the surface of the ground downward.

crater

Depression that forms the bottom of the quarry; it is a result of the extraction of deposits.

haulage road

Access road leading to the quarry; it is used to haul coal to the treatment plant.

ore

Solid fossil fuel that is black and contains a large amount of carbon.

bench height

Vertical distance between the horizontal planes of two benches.

ramp

Roadway between two benches; it is inclined so that motorized vehicles can remove the ore extracted from the various levels.

overburden

Part of the ground that covers the ore beds; it is removed to reach the deposit.

ground surface

The land that covers the deposit.

face

Vertical surface created by dynamiting a deposit to extract its ore.

bench

The levels of a quarry that are arranged like steps of a staircase and from which coal or ore is extracted.