Which term describes the rock or soil layer that lies on top of an economically viable mineral deposit?

Which term describes the rock or soil layer that lies on top of an economically viable mineral deposit?

• A. Topsoil
• B. Cap rock
• C. Overburden
• D. Subsoil

Answer: (C)

In mining operations, the layer that must be removed to reach the ore sits above the deposit and is known as the overburden. This term describes the rock and soil directly above an economically viable mineral deposit that has to be stripped away during open-pit mining before extracting the ore. Topsoil, by contrast, is the uppermost fertile layer of soil used for agriculture and is usually handled separately from the overburden. Subsoil lies beneath the topsoil, deeper than the layer directly above the ore. Cap rock is a different geological concept used to describe a resistant layer that can trap fluids, not the material overlying a mineral deposit. So overburden correctly identifies the rock or soil layer that lies on top of the deposit.

In mining operations, the layer that must be removed to reach the ore sits above the deposit and is known as the overburden. This term describes the rock and soil directly above an economically viable mineral deposit that has to be stripped away during open-pit mining before extracting the ore. Topsoil, by contrast, is the uppermost fertile layer of soil used for agriculture and is usually handled separately from the overburden. Subsoil lies beneath the topsoil, deeper than the layer directly above the ore. Cap rock is a different geological concept used to describe a resistant layer that can trap fluids, not the material overlying a mineral deposit. So overburden correctly identifies the rock or soil layer that lies on top of the deposit.