Nonrenewable Resources: Study Guide
14-1 Notes
What are Mineral Resources? * Nonrenewable Resources: a concentration of naturally occurring material in or on the earth’s crust that can be extracted and processed at an affordable cost. Non-renewable resources are mineral and energy resources such as coal, oil, gold, and copper that take a long period of time to produce. * Metallic Mineral Resources – iron, copper, aluminum * Nonmetallic Mineral Resources – salt, gypsum, clay, sand, phosphates, water and soil. * Energy resource: coal, oil, natural gas and uranium * Identified Resources – deposits of a nonrenewable mineral resource that have a known location, quantity and quality based on direct geological evidence and measurements * Undiscovered Resources– …show more content…
potential supplies of nonrenewable mineral resources that are assumed to exist on the basis of geologic knowledge and theory (specific locations, quantity and quality are not known) * Reserves – identified resources of minerals that can be extracted profitably at current prices. * Other Resources – resources that are not classified as reserves.
How do Ores form from Magma?
* Hydrothermal Processes: most common way of mineral formation * A. Gaps in sea floor are formed by retreating tectonic plates * B. Water enters gaps and comes in contact with magma * C. Superheated water dissolves minerals from rock or magma * D. Metal bearing solutions cool to form hydrothermal ore deposits. * E. Black Smokers – upwelling magma solidifies. Miniature volcanoes shoot hot, black, mineral rich water through vents of solidified magma on the seafloor. Support chemosynthetic organisms. * Manganese Nodules (Pacific Ocean) – ore nodules crystallized from hot solutions arising from volcanic activity. Contain manganese, iron copper and nickel.
How do Ores and other Minerals Form from Sedimentary and Weathering Processes? * Sedimentary Processes – sediments settle and form ore deposits. * Placer Deposits – site of sediment deposition near bedrock or course gravel in streams * Precipitation: Water evaporates in the desert to form evaporate mineral deposits. (salt, borax, sodium carbonate) * Weathering – water dissolves soluble metal ions from soil and rock near earth’s surface. Ions of insoluble compounds are left in the soil to form residual deposits of metal ores such as iron and aluminum (bauxite
ore).
14-2 Notes
How is Buried Mineral Deposits Found? * Photos and Satellite Images * Airplanes fly with radiation equipment and magnetometers * Gravimeter (density) * Drilling * Electric Resistance Measurement * Seismic Surveys * Chemical analysis of water and plants * Surface Mining: overburden (soil and rock on top of ore) is removed and becomes spoil. * Open pit mining – digging holes * Dredging – scraping up underwater mineral deposits * Area Strip Mining – on a flat area an earthmover strips overburden * Contour Strip Mining – scraping ore from hilly areas * Subsurface Mining * Dig a deep vertical shaft, blast underground tunnels to get mineral deposit, remove ore or coal and transport to surface * Disturbs less land and produces less waste * Less resource recovered, more dangerous and expensive * Dangers: collapse, explosions (natural gas), and lung disease
14-3 Notes
What Are the Environmental Impacts of using Mineral Resources? * Scarring and disruption of land * Collapse or subsidence * Wind and water erosion of toxic laced mine waste * Air pollution – toxic chemicals * Exposure of animals to toxic waste * Acid mine drainage: seeping rainwater carries sulfuric acid ( acid comes from bacteria breaking down iron sulfides) from the mine to local waterway Are there Environmental Limits to Resource Extraction and Use? * Mining Ore * Ore has two components: gangue(waste) and desired metal * Separation of ore and gangue which leaves tailings * Smelting (air and water pollution and hazardous waste which contaminates the soil around the smelter for decades) * Melting Metal * Conversion to product and discarding product
14-4 Notes
Economic Impacts of Mineral Resources? * Mineral prices are low because of subsidies: depletion allowances and deduct cost of finding more * Mineral scarcity does not raise the market prices * Mining Low Grade Ore: Some analysts say all we need to do is mine more low grade ores to meet our need * We are able to mine low grade ore because of improved technology. * The problem is cost of mining and processing, availability of fresh water, environmental impact
Can we get Enough Minerals by Mining the Oceans? * Minerals are found in seawater, but occur in too low of a concentration * Continental shelf can be mined * Deep Ocean are extremely expensive to extract (not currently viable)
Can We Find Substitutes for Scarce Nonrenewable Mineral Resources? * Materials Revolution * Ceramics and Plastics * Some substitutes are inferior (aluminum for copper in wire) * Will be difficult to find substitutes for helium, manganese, phosphorus and copper
What are Mineral Resources? * Nonrenewable Resources: a concentration of naturally occurring material in or on the earth’s crust that can be extracted and processed at an affordable cost. Non-renewable resources are mineral and energy resources such as coal, oil, gold, and copper that take a long period of time to produce. * Metallic Mineral Resources – iron, copper, aluminum * Nonmetallic Mineral Resources – salt, gypsum, clay, sand, phosphates, water and soil. * Energy resource: coal, oil, natural gas and uranium * Identified Resources – deposits of a nonrenewable mineral resource that have a known location, quantity and quality based on direct geological evidence and measurements * Undiscovered Resources– …show more content…
potential supplies of nonrenewable mineral resources that are assumed to exist on the basis of geologic knowledge and theory (specific locations, quantity and quality are not known) * Reserves – identified resources of minerals that can be extracted profitably at current prices. * Other Resources – resources that are not classified as reserves.
How do Ores form from Magma?
* Hydrothermal Processes: most common way of mineral formation * A. Gaps in sea floor are formed by retreating tectonic plates * B. Water enters gaps and comes in contact with magma * C. Superheated water dissolves minerals from rock or magma * D. Metal bearing solutions cool to form hydrothermal ore deposits. * E. Black Smokers – upwelling magma solidifies. Miniature volcanoes shoot hot, black, mineral rich water through vents of solidified magma on the seafloor. Support chemosynthetic organisms. * Manganese Nodules (Pacific Ocean) – ore nodules crystallized from hot solutions arising from volcanic activity. Contain manganese, iron copper and nickel.
How do Ores and other Minerals Form from Sedimentary and Weathering Processes? * Sedimentary Processes – sediments settle and form ore deposits. * Placer Deposits – site of sediment deposition near bedrock or course gravel in streams * Precipitation: Water evaporates in the desert to form evaporate mineral deposits. (salt, borax, sodium carbonate) * Weathering – water dissolves soluble metal ions from soil and rock near earth’s surface. Ions of insoluble compounds are left in the soil to form residual deposits of metal ores such as iron and aluminum (bauxite
ore).
14-2 Notes
How is Buried Mineral Deposits Found? * Photos and Satellite Images * Airplanes fly with radiation equipment and magnetometers * Gravimeter (density) * Drilling * Electric Resistance Measurement * Seismic Surveys * Chemical analysis of water and plants * Surface Mining: overburden (soil and rock on top of ore) is removed and becomes spoil. * Open pit mining – digging holes * Dredging – scraping up underwater mineral deposits * Area Strip Mining – on a flat area an earthmover strips overburden * Contour Strip Mining – scraping ore from hilly areas * Subsurface Mining * Dig a deep vertical shaft, blast underground tunnels to get mineral deposit, remove ore or coal and transport to surface * Disturbs less land and produces less waste * Less resource recovered, more dangerous and expensive * Dangers: collapse, explosions (natural gas), and lung disease
14-3 Notes
What Are the Environmental Impacts of using Mineral Resources? * Scarring and disruption of land * Collapse or subsidence * Wind and water erosion of toxic laced mine waste * Air pollution – toxic chemicals * Exposure of animals to toxic waste * Acid mine drainage: seeping rainwater carries sulfuric acid ( acid comes from bacteria breaking down iron sulfides) from the mine to local waterway Are there Environmental Limits to Resource Extraction and Use? * Mining Ore * Ore has two components: gangue(waste) and desired metal * Separation of ore and gangue which leaves tailings * Smelting (air and water pollution and hazardous waste which contaminates the soil around the smelter for decades) * Melting Metal * Conversion to product and discarding product
14-4 Notes
Economic Impacts of Mineral Resources? * Mineral prices are low because of subsidies: depletion allowances and deduct cost of finding more * Mineral scarcity does not raise the market prices * Mining Low Grade Ore: Some analysts say all we need to do is mine more low grade ores to meet our need * We are able to mine low grade ore because of improved technology. * The problem is cost of mining and processing, availability of fresh water, environmental impact
Can we get Enough Minerals by Mining the Oceans? * Minerals are found in seawater, but occur in too low of a concentration * Continental shelf can be mined * Deep Ocean are extremely expensive to extract (not currently viable)
Can We Find Substitutes for Scarce Nonrenewable Mineral Resources? * Materials Revolution * Ceramics and Plastics * Some substitutes are inferior (aluminum for copper in wire) * Will be difficult to find substitutes for helium, manganese, phosphorus and copper