Mineral: is a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, crystalline material with physical properties and chemical composition. No two minerals have the same chemical composition.
Metallic Minerals: These contain metals. They often form in igneous and hydrothermal environments, where hot fluids deposit minerals in cracks and fractures in rocks. Examples are iron ore, copper, gold, and aluminum.
Non-Metallic Minerals: are naturally occurring substances that do not contain metals. They are valuable due to their physical and chemical properties. Examples are potash, diamonds, sand, and gravel.
Critical Metals: a subset of metallic minerals that are essential for modern technologies and industries. Their supply chains are concentrated in a few countries or regions, making them vulnerable to supply disruptions. Examples include lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements.
Fossil Fuels: are non-renewable energy sources formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. The organic materials that have been transformed by heat and pressure by the earth over millions of years. They are primarily found in sedimentary basins, where organic matter has been buried and compressed. Examples include, oil, coal, and natural gas.
Ore: a rock that contains economically interesting concentrations of metals.
Grade: the concentration of metal in the ore. If a rock has a high grade, it means the rock has a high concentration of a metal.
Reserves: are discovered deposits of a mineral that are economic and legal to mine under present conditions.
Resources: are the total amount of geological materials in all discovered and undiscovered deposits.
Industry Materials: are the raw substances used to manufacture products.
Precious Metals: are highly valuable metals because of their rarity, durability, and beauty. These metals are formed deep within the Earth's crust through various geological processes. They found deep underground the earth’s surface. They often form as a result of volcanic and tectonic activity. Gold, silver, and platinum are some of the most common precious metals found in Canada.
Tailings: Waste material left over after the valuable minerals have been extracted from an ore. Pollution from tailings is a major environmental concern.
Mine Life: The estimated period of time that a mine can operate profitably.
Reclamation: The process of restoring land to its original state after mining operations have ceased. See: Overview of Mining in Canada
Surface Mining: A broad term encompassing mining techniques that extract minerals from near the Earth's surface.
Open pit mining: A specific type of surface mining where a large pit is dug to access the mineral deposit. It's suitable for large, near-surface deposits of minerals like copper, gold, and iron ore.
In-Situ: a chemical solvent is injected into a mineral deposit to dissolve the desired mineral. The dissolved mineral is then pumped to the surface. It's particularly used for extracting metals like copper and uranium from low-grade ore bodies.