Sand and gravel are used for construction and landscaping projects.
Sand and gravel takes years to produce but this natural resource can be extracted in a matter of days. Sand and gravel are produced by eroding mountain rocks that are carried by streams and rivers. As they bang against each other, they break apart forming sand and gravel. Glaciers also deposited much of the sand and gravel in North America. These deposits have settled on land, sometimes forming a river bed or bank. Geologists use ground penetrating radar (GPR) to locate sand and gravel deposits that are underground. Then, the mining process begins.
Instructions
1. Remove vegetation and topsoil. Once a mining location is found, a miner should prepare the area in order to extract the sand and gravel. Use excavating equipment to remove existing vegetation and topsoil from the mining area.
2. Extract the sand and gravel. After removing the topsoil, water should enter the pit. Use a dredge machine to suck the sand and gravel out of the pit to prepare it for separation.
3. Separate the rocks from the sand and gravel. Use a machine called a separator to separate the rocks from one another according to size. For instance, fine sand is separated from coarse sand.
4. Return excess sand to the pit. Use a discharge pipe to return the excess sand to the pit. Mined sand and gravel areas are often redeveloped into housing developments or nature sanctuaries.
Tags: sand gravel, Sand gravel, excess sand, rocks from, vegetation topsoil
