What is the primary characteristic of strip mining?

The primary characteristic of strip mining is that it is an open-pit mining method. This technique involves removing layers of soil and rock to expose and extract minerals located close to the earth's surface. Typically, it is used for coal and other minerals found in horizontal beds that can be efficiently accessed by stripping away overburden—the soil and rock that lies above the resource.

By conducting mining in this manner, strip mining allows for the extraction of large volumes of material with less effort and cost compared to underground mining methods. These pits can be quite expansive, which is why the term "open-pit" is pertinent, as it describes a mining operation that remains open to the surface rather than being tunneled underground. This method, while effective for resource extraction, does have significant environmental impacts, such as habitat destruction and soil disruption, particularly due to the large areas of land that are cleared for access.