Silver miners are responsible for extracting silver ore from the earth, as well as transporting and processing it. These miners may work in large open pit mines on the surface or in mine shafts hundreds of feet below ground. Explosives and heavy machinery are used in modern silver mining. Miners may also be in charge of extracting pure silver from silver ore using a variety of physical and chemical processes.
Rarely, precious metals can be found in such high concentrations that they can be extracted in pure, or nearly pure, form directly from the earth. However, the vast majority of these mineral deposits were depleted centuries ago. Modern silver miners are usually tasked with extracting ore that contains a significant amount of silver mixed in with a variety of impurities and other substances. Large quantities of silver ore are mined and then processed to separate the metallic silver.
Strip mining is a method of extracting silver from shallow deposits by removing a layer of topsoil from an ore deposit beneath the surface. Depending on the geology of a given mine site, heavy earth-moving equipment is used to excavate ore deposits, and explosives may be required to break up the earth or the ore deposits. Working in a strip mine requires silver miners to be comfortable with either heavy equipment or explosives, and sometimes both.
Pit mines can be used to extract silver ore from larger areas. Large amounts of rock must be blasted and pulverized in these mines, which necessitate the use of explosives. This type of mining has the potential to reveal ore deposits that are deeper beneath the surface and in more rugged terrain.
Because extracting ore from deep underground is very expensive, and most ores are not concentrated enough to make this process worthwhile, most silver miners work in surface mines. Even if the silver deposits are deep underground, they are worth mining. Blasting and tunneling equipment are used by silver miners to follow and excavate ore deposits in these mines. They also ensure the structural stability of mine tunnels and shafts, and they may be called upon to deal with flooding or ventilation problems.
Silver miners may be in charge of transporting or processing silver ore in some cases. Large earth-moving machines are frequently used to transport the newly extracted ore a short distance to a refining facility. The ore is processed and the silver extracted once it arrives at a smelter. Miners may also be required to dispose of the waste products produced by mining at this time.