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45 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Mineral Resources
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Includes ore and non-metallic
- Mineral resources are non-renewable |
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Ore
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metallic mineral deposits that can be mined for a profit (about 40 important ones)
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Non-metallics
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everything else
Sand, gravel, stone, etc |
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Ore and Ore Deposits: Magmatic processes
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Magmatic processes
Crystal settling – creates layers, some with value Chromium, platinum in S Africa, Nickel in Ontario, Platinum in Montana & Russia |
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Ore and Ore Deposits: Hydrothermal processes
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Hydrothermal processes – the most common ore-forming process
Hot water in cracks / pores, 3 sources Granitic water from cooling magma Ground water interaction Along mid-ocean ridges |
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Hydrothermal vein
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when metals precipitate in a crack / fracture
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Disseminated ore
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when metals permeate pores of country rock
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Ore and Ore Deposits: Sedimentary processes
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Sedimentary processes
Placer deposits – dense minerals (like gold) get deposited in streams Precipitates – dissolved mineral matter gets left behind when water evaporates. Halite, borax, gypsum, sodium sulfate, etc |
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Ore and Ore Deposits: Weathering Processes
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Weathering processes
Altered material left behind by water - bauxite |
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Mineral Reserves
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Reserves are known amounts of ore in the ground
Economics & technology determine which deposit is ore, and which is just rocks Minerals unevenly distributed across Earth 5 nations supply most of the world’s mineral needs Developed nations use most of them The US depends on the 25 nations for >1/2 its mineral resource needs. |
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Mines and Mining
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Ore and coal extracted from mines
Underground mine – a series of interconnected passages Surface mine – hole dug into the surface to find a mineral resource Both types of mines have had during, and post-use, environmental problems |
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Coal
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combustible, composed mainly of carbon. Most formed 360-286 mya
- Long use in human history - Usable as fuel without refining - Graded according to chemical characteristics - Reserves should last until ~2200 AD - Forming < consumption rate |
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Peat
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pre-coal in oxygen-deprived bogs, swamps
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Petroleum
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– formed from organic residue of plants and animals
Burial in mud, slow heating Source rock – where it comes from Oil traps – folds or other rock structures that trap rising petroleum |
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Extraction
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Extraction – companies drill wells into reservoirs of petroleum
Wells getting deeper Much oil too viscous to pump Secondary recovery – injection of water Tertiary recovery – use of superheated steam and/or surfactants Found in hostile / sensitive places Open sea floor, ANWR |
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Natural Gas
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Natural gas – forms when source rock rises above 100°C
Often found with oil Mainly methane, used as fuel without processing Coal bed methane – associated with coal seams Depletes water table Is often saline and poses pollution hazard |
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Tar Sands
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Both are “heavy oils”
Tar sands – (Alberta, CA; Utah; Venezuela) Sands with heavy oils and bitumen In Alberta, ~1 trillion gallons Scooped up and heated, then treated |
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Oil Shades
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Oil shales – contain waxy kerogen
Would be oil some day Shale is mined, ground up, and heated Kerogen turns into petroleum Refined Both sands and shales require copious water and high energy inputs to extract |
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Solar energy
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Solar thermal – heat air / water for direct use
Solar cell – use photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert light to electricity |
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Wind energy
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– US capacity 25,000+ megawatts
1 megawatt powers 240-300 US homes Rapidly becoming cost-effective |
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Geothermal
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– using Earth’s internal heat as heat, or for electric generation
US capacity 3,000+ megawatts |
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Hydroelectric
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supplies 15-20% of world’s electricity
Dams affect water systems Ecology Stream dynamics |
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Biomass energy
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plant fuels
Wood, garbage, alcohol, peat, biodiesel, agricultural wastes 1st three are most productive Alcohols – used as auto fuel additive Biodiesel – from converted vegetable oils |
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Renewable Energy
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Limitations
Only biofuels can power transportation in standard ways Electrical mass transit Electric cars Hybrids Fuel cells Hydrogen economy Hydrogen sources – energy inputs |
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Nuclear fuels
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radioactive isotopes to generate electricity
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Fission reactors
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(branching chain reaction)
Fuel rod Control rods Heat exchangers Powers steam turbine |
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Conservation as an Alternative Energy Resource
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Policies to improve energy efficiency and pollutants are cheaper than most alternatives (saving ½ consumption?)
Buildings – consume 39% of all US energy CF / hi-efficiency bulbs, LED lights Industry – 33% of US energy use New electric motor (70% of industrial uses) |
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Conservation as an Alternative Energy Resource (CONT)
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Transportation – 28% of energy (1/2 of oil, 1/3 carbon emissions)
Inefficient driving Single occupant Engines running at 10% net efficiency New hybrids Could save as much as 1/3 of oil imports |
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Social solutions
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Alter human behavior
e.g.: carpooling, efficient but inconvenient US fondness for big vehicles Thermostat choices |
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Energy for the 21st century
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US uses 25% of Earth oil, has 3% of its reserves
Hubbert’s peak – prediction of oil’s end Oil prediction will start to decline World demand will go up Oil will run out sooner rather than later Rise of higher cost heavy oils Do we have reasonable alternatives….no |
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1. ____________________ are examples for nonmetallic mineral resources.
a. Gold and silver b. Sand and gravel c. All types of iron oxides d. Crystals in magma chambers rich in platinum |
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2. Hydrothermal processes form _______________.
a. relatively little ore b. most sand and gravel deposits c. more ore than any other process d. coal and oil |
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3. Evaporite deposits form by _______________.
a. sedimentary sorting b. hydrothermal solutions c. precipitation from water d. magma solidification |
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4. ________________ processes form mineral deposits as liquid magma solidifies to form an igneous rock.
a. Magmatic b. Enigmatic c. Metamorphic d. Energetic |
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5. Hydrothermal processes are probably responsible for the formation of __________ ore deposits than other processes.
a. less b. much less c. about the same amount of d. more |
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6. The color of _______________ is caused by precipitation of fine-grained metal sulfide minerals.
a. black spitters b. black smokers c. black chimneys d. black vents |
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7. _______________ is formed as a residual deposit in warm climates.
a. Bauxite b. Banded iron c. A manganese nodule d. A hydrothermal vein deposit |
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8. Coal reserves are thought to be sufficient to last a few __________.
a. years b. decades c. centuries d. millennia |
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9. Coal forms when buried peat loses most of its __________ and __________.
a. hydrogen, oxygen b. hydrogen, carbon c. oxygen, carbon d. nitrogen, hydrogen |
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10. _______________ releases no sulfur when burned, has a higher net energy yield than other fossil fuels, and can be extracted and used without refining.
a. Coal b. Petroleum c. Kerogen d. Natural gas |
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11. Petroleum migrates from the __________ into the __________.
a. cap rock, source rock b. reservoir rock, cap rock c. source rock, reservoir rock d. cap rock, reservoir rock |
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12. To form an oil reservoir, cap rocks must be _______________.
a. porous b. permeable c. impermeable d. thin |
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13. Tar sands are permeated with __________.
a. bitumen b. peat c. kerogen d. natural gas |
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14. Energy sources, such as sunlight and wind, are _______________.
a. renewable. b. nonrenewable. c. limited d. usually more polluting than nuclear fuels |
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15. The major fuel in nuclear power plants is an isotope of _______________.
a. strontium b. uranium c. thorium d. plutonium |
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