Terms

Collapse or movement of a slope due to geotechnical instability. Major safety and economic risk in open-pit mines.

Mixture of solids suspended in a liquid (often water). Behaviour governed by rheology and particle size.

Study of mechanical behaviour of rock masses, crucial for mine design, support systems and slope stability.

Unprocessed ore delivered directly from the mine to the crusher or stockpile.

Ground-support systems installed to stabilise roofs in underground mines, including bolts, mesh, shotcrete and props.

Underground mining method where rooms are excavated and pillars left to support the roof. Common in coal and potash.

Facility where concentrates are roasted before leaching or smelting. Often used for refractory sulphide ores.

Drilling technique where rotation of the drill bit cuts rock, used for blastholes, water wells and exploration.

First stage of flotation where bulk minerals are recovered to create a rougher concentrate for further cleaning.

Water flowing over the land surface after precipitation, important for mine water management and environmental impact.

Grinding mill using ore itself plus steel balls to break particles. Key for primary grinding in many processing plants.

Closed basins where lithium-brines accumulate through evaporation. Major global source of battery-grade lithium.