Using these terms, write a paragraph IN YOUR OWN WORDS that describes the effects of mining mineral resources.Bold and Underline each word as you use them. Use complete sentences. Use your notes (6.3 - Mining Mineral Resources) as a reference. surface mining overburden open-pit mining strip mining mountaintop removal subsurface mining tailings smelting Paragraph Here

**Surface mining** involves the removal of the **overburden**, which is the soil and rock overlaying a mineral deposit. One common method is **open-pit mining**, where large holes are dug to extract minerals. Another technique is **strip mining**, which removes long strips of overburden to access buried resources. **Mountaintop removal** is an extreme form of surface mining that blasts away the summit of mountains to expose coal seams beneath. In contrast, **subsurface mining** involves digging tunnels or shafts into the earth to reach deeply buried minerals. After extraction, the leftover material, known as **tailings**, can pose environmental hazards if not managed properly. Finally, **smelting** is the process of heating and melting ore to extract pure metals, which can also release pollutants into the environment.