What is overburden?

What is overburden?

• A. The ore after mining has been processed.
• B. Sand, gravel, or rock that covers a diamond pipe and must be removed to reach the ore.
• C. The method used to grade diamond clarity.
• D. The total ore quantity in the deposit

Answer: (B)

Overburden is the material that lies on top of the valuable ore body and must be removed to access the ore. In diamond mining, this can be sand, gravel, or rock covering the diamond pipe. It’s waste material, not the target ore, so it isn’t what’s mined for product. That’s why this option best fits the concept. The other ideas refer to what happens to ore after processing, a method for judging diamond clarity, or the total ore quantity in the deposit, none of which describe the covering material above the ore.

Overburden is the material that lies on top of the valuable ore body and must be removed to access the ore. In diamond mining, this can be sand, gravel, or rock covering the diamond pipe. It’s waste material, not the target ore, so it isn’t what’s mined for product. That’s why this option best fits the concept. The other ideas refer to what happens to ore after processing, a method for judging diamond clarity, or the total ore quantity in the deposit, none of which describe the covering material above the ore.