Surface mining method in which overlaying rock, or overburden, is removed to expose the ore body, which is then drilled, blasted, and loaded into trucks, or (formerly) railroad cars, for haulage from the pit.
Removing minerals such as gravel, sand, and metal ores by digging them out of the earth's surface and leaving an open pit. Compare area strip mining, contour strip mining, dredging, mountaintop removal, subsurface mining.