Exploiting the lithosphere or

earths crust
Stone age: 1.6 million to 2000 years ago
people in SA made stone implements
choppers, hand axes & scrapers.

Iron Age: 2000 500 years ago people in SA
were mainly farmers cattle, sheep, goats &
planting seeds.

Gold was originally found in riverbeds
in Limpopo 1000 years ago & was
traded with ivory to China, India & Egypt.
Discovery of gold in Limpopo
Early man
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Earths crust as source of materials
Elements are usually
found in the form of
gases in the
atmoshpere and in
the form of ores of
the various
substances, in the
Earths crust.
Ores are mined and
then the various
elements extracted.
Earth's crust
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Common elements in earths crust.
Seldom are these
elements in pure state.
Most often they are in the forms of the various
ores compounds & minerals i.e. metal oxides,
nitrates, carbonates etc.
These need to be extracted by chemical means.
Elements from the ground
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Mineral distribution in Southern Africa
Indication of mineral distribution in Southern Africa.
Mining is a very important source of income in SA.
However, people must not be exploited in this industry.
Gold fom our mine dumps
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Mineral distribution in SA
Besides these
elements, diamonds,
platinum & uranium
are also mined in
these areas.
Note how most of the
minerals are found in
the North & North
Eastern parts of SA.
SA gold production has decreased from 68% of worlds
gold in 1970 to only 8% in 2009. 5
Mining
Mining iron-ore Mining gold-ore Coal mining
In general, rocks containing the minerals & ores
must be extracted from the mines, crushed and then
often chemically extracted from the crushed rocks.
You can elect to study any one of the following major
SA mining industries:
Gold, iron, phosphate, coal, diamond, copper,
platinum, zinc, chrome, asbestos & manganese.
Gold mining in SA
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Questions that need to be asked
about mining in SA.
What is available?
Where is it found?
How is it found?
How are the precious materials
recovered & processed?
Platinum Diamonds Gold Coal
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Gold mining
The gold industry has been one of the most
important industries in SA since alluvial gold
was first found in riverbeds and streams at
Langlaagte farm in 1886.




After that, deep, underground mines were
started and developed in Gauteng & the
Free State.
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Gold bars, nuggets & coins
Gold bars or bullion
Gold nuggets
Gold coins printed by the
SA Mint often to
commemorate important
occasions.
Quartz, granite
& gold in rocks
Gold
jewellery
Extracting and producing gold
Making a gold bar
9
Processing gold ore.
A very important process in SA mining.
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Old method of gold recovery from ore.
Redox reaction:

4Au + 8Na(CN)
2
+ 2H
2
O + O
2
4NaAu(CN)
2
+ 4NaOH

Recovery by precipitation method:

Zn + 2NaAu(CN)
2
2Au + Zn (CN)
2
+ 2NaCN

These days, mines use activated carbon smelting.
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PGMs (Platinum group metals)
SA produces 94% of the worlds Pt mainly in the
Rustenburg area. Pt is used for jewellery, motor
vehicle exhausts & for technology.
PGMs in SA
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Pollution
Dust from mine dumps
Air pollution - chemical
processing
Open-pit mining Acid water pollution
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Pollution
Air pollution from burning
coal for the generation of
electrical power in SA.
The burning of fossil fuels coal, oil, petrol &
gas, releases incredible amounts of
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere &
many scientists believe this will lead to global
warming.
Pollution from mining
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Research pollution in SA
Pollution is already a problem in South Africa
and it is set to become an even bigger
problem unless we seriously do something
about it NOW!

Research and write an essay on current
pollution and possible future pollution and its
effect in our country.
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