WORKSHEET No. 1

1.Coal mining isn't just about digging holes in the ground. Before a mine is started there is lots of exploration work to do. How big is the reserve? How accessible is it? Is it economic to mine? How should it be mined? How will it be rehabilitated?

View the EXPLORING FOR COAL resource page.

Pick any four of the geological formations. For the four you have selected:

i. sketch each formation
ii. write a brief paragraph to explain how the formation has been produced
iii. draw the core sample which the drill rig would obtain from each formation
iv. draw in a drilling position which would help to determine the extent of the reserve
v. draw in a third drilling position which may give an incorrect assessment of the reserve
vi. write a brief paragraph giving your decision as to whether the reserve could be mined, if you decide to mine, make a decision on underground or opencast mining, and explain why you have made that choice.

You can try this as a practical activity too. See ACTIVITIES to find out how.

2. Look carefully at the comic strip of HOW COAL IS FORMED. Millions of years have been compressed into ten frames, but in doing so in this version the order of the frames has been jumbled up. Only the first frame is correct.

Either: write the numbers of the frames in the order in which they should appear, or if you have a hard copy of the frames, cut them out and glue them on a page in the correct order. The layers of deposits should give you a big help with working out the correct order. To check out if you are right click here.

3. When you have completed No.2 look again at the correct version of HOW COAL IS FORMED. For each frame write a sentence describing what is happening.

WORKSHEET NO. 2

Investigating a New Zealand Mineral Resource in Detail. Click here.

[coal]
[ironsands]
[JAGO]
[industrial minerals]
[aggregates]
[GNS]
[volcanoes]
[base & precious metals]
[rehabilitation]

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