Landscape scarred by mining and spoil heaps at former mining settlement where gold and other minerals were extracted, and second highest village in Scotland, Leadhills, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Soil overburden being removed to reach the tar sands beds in an open pit tar sands mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, North America

Soil overburden being removed to reach the tar sands beds in an open pit tar sands mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, North America

Shell's Albian Sands tar sands mine, Alberta, Canada, North America

Shell's Albian Sands tar sands mine, Alberta, Canada, North America

Soil overburden being removed to get at the tar sands below, in a mine north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, North America

China Clay workings near St. Austell, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Spoil left by open cast coal mining at the abandoned Westfield mine in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Spoil left by open cast coal mining at the abandoned Westfield mine in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Spoil left by open cast coal mining at the abandoned Westfield mine in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

An open cast or drift coal mine managed by Xstrata coal in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific

Aerial view, mine Hugo I 1, 2, with Halde Runge heap and view point, Schachtzeichen RUHR.2010, Gelsenkirchen, Ruhrgebiet region, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe

Aerial view, mine Hugo I 1, 2, with Halde Runge heap and view point, Schachtzeichen RUHR.2010, Gelsenkirchen, Ruhrgebiet region, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Europe