strip mining

noun

1. mining in an open pit after removal of the overburden.

strip mining

noun

1. another term (esp US) for opencast mining

strip mining

1. Removing a mineral deposit from the Earth after first removing the layer of earth above it.

Strip mining, the cheapest method of mining, is also the most controversial, because it jeopardizes the environment, and because strip-mined land is either expensive or impossible to reclaim.