What is the term for the rock or soil on top of an economically viable mineral deposit?

What is the term for the rock or soil on top of an economically viable mineral deposit?

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

Answer: (B)

Overburden is the rock and soil lying above an economically viable mineral deposit that must be removed to access the ore in open-pit mining. It often includes the topsoil, which is the fertile surface layer that may be stripped and stored for rehabilitation, but the key idea is the overall covering that adds to mining cost. Subsoil sits below the topsoil, not above the ore, and cap rock refers to a hard layer above an underground ore body, not the general surface cover in open-pit mining.

Overburden is the rock and soil lying above an economically viable mineral deposit that must be removed to access the ore in open-pit mining. It often includes the topsoil, which is the fertile surface layer that may be stripped and stored for rehabilitation, but the key idea is the overall covering that adds to mining cost. Subsoil sits below the topsoil, not above the ore, and cap rock refers to a hard layer above an underground ore body, not the general surface cover in open-pit mining.