Jakarta –
When digging for precious metals, carbonaceous fuels, or ancient mineral ores, this process removes “a piece of history.” Such materials are, in the words of the writer Astra Taylor, “a densely packed past,” revealing epic eras of magmatic rages, tropical forests, or hydrothermal vapors. It takes millions of years to settle or crystallize, then only in an instant can be dredged by machines and explosives.
Since humans first realized that the land beneath them holds hidden wealth, many have dug to discover what lies beneath it. Mining of almost every aspect of our modern life is possible and often its impact on nature is far removed from everyday life.
When we look at the impact of a mine visually, it can subtly change the way we think about material possessions. Even these words are conveyed through geological material – behind this computer screen, shrouded in electronic systems, is metal that has been locked up for thousands of years in rock. And somewhere in the world today, a growing desire for technology needs is fueling deeper and wider underground searches for that resource.
In the following, one can see the various ways mining has altered the surface of the earth – whether it be the gaudy and unnatural color of “stream pools”, or the open landscape that looks like the fingerprints of humanity itself. If the ancient ores and minerals we crave are a past that is stored solidly, then sadly what remains is a future full of wounds.
One of the largest mining pits in the world, with 84 different types of minerals, is ‘Pegmatite No.3’ in Xinjiang, China. (Getty Images) 
China’s Emerald Lake, in Qinghai province, is an abandoned mining zone where salt and other minerals have been left in a giant pond with a greenish tint. (Getty Images) 
Iron minerals are oxidized in the Rio Tinto mining area in Huelva province in Spain. (Getty Images) 
Mixed with water, the mineral iron spread like watercolors across the landscape. (Getty Images) 
When minerals meet air, they change to a reddish color, and then darken as they collect in deeper waters. (Getty Images) 
Like a giant fingerprint circle: the Bingham Canyon Mine, also known as the Kennecott Copper Mine, Utah, USA. (Getty Images) 
Los Filos gold mine in Guerrero State, Mexico. (AFP) 
In the Brazilian Amazon, the informal gold mining camp Esperanca IV, near the indigenous territory of Menkragnoti. (AFP) 
On the other hand in the Amazon, in Peru, an area of deforestation caused by illegal gold mining in the Madre de Dios river basin. (Getty Images) 
Stream pond used to store byproducts from copper mining in Rancagua, Chile. (Getty Images) 
Copper is one of Chile’s main exports. (Getty Images) 
Orange water rises over a forested landscape near a disused copper-sulfide mine near the village of Lyovikha in the Urals, Russia. (Getty Images) 
An open pit coal mine reaches the horizon near Mahagama, in the Indian state of Jharkhand. (Getty Images) 
Eti Mine Works in Eskisehir, Turkey, where lithium – the main component of the battery – is produced from a boron source. (Getty Images) 
The Rossing Uranium Mine in Namibia, one of the largest open-air uranium mines in the world, is located in the Namib Desert. (Getty Images) 
Russia’s snowy Mir diamond mine hints at what future generations may discover. What will they think of our consumption legacy? (Getty Images)
All images are copyrighted.
See also the video ‘NASA Says Big Asteroid Will Cross the Earth’:
(ita / ita)
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