Overburden is the term used in mining to describe material that lies above the area of economic interest, e. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body g. , the rock and soil that lies above the coal seam. Also known as 'waste'. Overburden is distinct from tailings, the material that remains after economically valuable components have been extracted from the generally finely milled ore. Tailings (also known as slimes, gangue, tailings pile, tails, leach residue, or slickens) are the materials left over Overburden is removed during surface mining, but is typically not contaminated with toxic components and may be used to restore a mining site to a semblance of its appearance before mining began. Surface mining is a type of Mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed Overburden may also be used as a term to describe all soil and ancillary material above the bedrock horizon in a given area.

A related term is interburden, meaning material that lies between two areas of economic interest, such as the material separating coal seams within strata.

By analogy, overburden is also used to describe the soil and other material that lies above a specific geologic feature, such as a buried astrobleme. In the broadest sense the term impact crater can be applied to any depression natural or manmade resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with larger body

References

• Bates, R. L. , and Jackson, J. A. , (1987) Glossary of geology American Geological Institute, Alexandria, Virginia.
• Haering, K. C. ; Daniels W. L. and Roberts J. A. (1993) "Changes in mine soil properties resulting from overburden weathering" Journal of environmental quality 22(1): pp. 194-200.
• McFee, W. W. ; Byrnes, W. R. and Stockton, J. G. (1981) "Characteristics of coal mine overburden important to plant growth" Journal of environmental quality 10(3): pp. 300-308.

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