How Underground Mining Works - HowStuffWorks
Underground mines are the alternative to surface mines. Surface mines excavate from the top down, a method that can become inefficient at depths greater than about 200 feet (60 meters) [sources: Illinois Coal Association, De Beers].Undergrounds coal mines can drive 2,500 feet (750 meters) into the Earth and other types even deeper -- uranium mines can reach 6,500 feet, or