environmental science > Mineral Resources > Flashcards

Mineral Resources Flashcards

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1
Q

Why is resource extraction important for society?

A
  • Metals and metal ores
  • Industrial minerals
  • Construction materials
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2
Q

What is a mineral?

A

A valuable or useful chemical substance formed naturally in the Earth’s surface

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3
Q

What is a mineral deposit?

A

A rock that contains at least one mineral

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4
Q

What is an ore?

A

A rock containing a mineral at a purity high enough to be extracted economically

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5
Q

What is iron used for?

A
  • Reinforced concrete in construction
  • Railway lines
  • Appliances
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6
Q

What is uranium used for?

A
  • Nuclear fuel
  • Concrete production
  • Sterilising soil
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7
Q

What is gold used for?

A
  • Jewellery
  • Electronics
  • Defence
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8
Q

Why is mineral extraction non-renewable?

A

Mineral resources are formed too slowly to be replaced within timescales that would allow human use

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9
Q

What is a sedimentary rock?

A

A rock formed on or near the Earth’s surface due to compression of ocean sediments

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10
Q

Which processes lead to sedimentary rock formation?

A
  • Weathering
  • Erosion
  • Deposition
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11
Q

What are some examples of sedimentary rocks?

A
  • Sandstone
  • Limestone
  • Chalk
  • Coal
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12
Q

What is an igneous rock?

A

A rock formed when magma cools and re-crystallises

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13
Q

Which processes lead to igneous rock formation?

A
  • Subduction
  • Melting
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14
Q

What are some examples of igneous rocks?

A
  • Gabbro
  • Granite
  • Andesite
  • Basalt
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15
Q

What is a metamorphic rock?

A

A rock which has been re-crystallised into another rock due to pressure and heat

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16
Q

Which processes lead to metamorphic rock formation?

A
  • Plate tectonics
  • Heat
  • Pressure
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17
Q

What are some examples of metamorphic rocks?

A
  • Slate
  • Marble
  • Gneisst
  • Quartzite
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18
Q

What are the 5 sedimentary geological processes?

A
  • Proterozoic marine sediments
  • Alluvial deposits
  • Secondary enrichment
  • Evaporites
  • Biological deposits
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19
Q

What is another term for the compression of ocean sediments?

A

Lithification

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20
Q

When were Proterozoic marine sediments formed?

A

2.5 - 1.8 billion years ago

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21
Q

What is another name for Proterozoic marine sediments?

A

Banded iron formations

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22
Q

How were Proterozoic marine sediments formed?

A
  1. First photosynthesisers increased O2 concentration in oceans and then atmosphere
  2. Iron ions were present in solution and were oxidised
  3. Solid iron oxide was formed (FeO) which formed deposits on the ocean floor
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23
Q

What are examples of Proterozoic marine sediments?

A
  • Haematites
  • Magnetites
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24
Q

How are alluvial deposits formed?

A
  1. Rivers with high energy and velocity transport large volumes of sediment
  2. Reduced energy and velocity causes deposition
  3. Heavier and denser sediments precipitate out of solution first
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25
Where is alluvial deposition most likely to occur?
On river meanders
26
What are examples of alluvial deposits?
- Gold - Diamond - Tin ore
27
What is the process of secondary enrichment?
1. Metal ore is exposed on the surface to O2 and H2O due to erosion 2. Metal oxidises and dissolves before percolating downwards until it reaches the water table 3. The ore is reduced when it reaches the anaerobic saturated zone beneath the water table 4. Metal ore precipitates out of solution and forms a concentrated deposit below the water table
28
What is an example of a deposit formed by secondary enrichment?
Uranium ore deposits in sandstone
29
How do evaporites form?
1. Sea level decrease causes oceans to become landlocked 2. Salt precipitates out of solution and crystallises as water begins to evaporate 3. Salt is deposited on land and may become buried
30
What is the main example of an evaporite deposit?
Common salt (halite/NaCl)
31
What is an example of evaporite extraction?
Winsford Salt Mines, Cheshire - supplies 50% of the UK's road salt
32
How do biological deposits form?
The remains of living organisms are lithified over time and concentrate minerals in sedimentary rocks
33
What are some examples of biological deposits?
- Coal - Oil - Limestone - Chalk
34
What is coal formed from?
Terrestrial vegetation
35
What is oil formed from?
Microscopic marine organisms
36
What are limestone and chalk formed from?
Shell remains of marine organisms
37
How are metamorphic rocks formed?
Igneous processes and tectonic movement causes existing rocks to re-crystallise due to heat and pressure
38
How is slate formed?
Shale undergoes heat and pressure and re-crystallises
39
How is marble formed?
Limestone undergoes heat and pressure and re-crystallises
40
Why is slate more valuable than shale?
Stronger and more competent
41
What is lithification?
The process by which sediments compact under pressure and become solid rock
42
What is an igneous batholith?
A solidified mass of magma classified as an igneous intrusion which doesn't reach the surface
43
What is the process of hydrothermal deposition?
1. Magma rises through the mantle but does not reach the surface 2. Groundwater in surrounding rocks becomes superheated 3. Minerals dissolve into solution due to heated water 4. High pressure causes rocks to fracture 5. Water moves away from the magma along fractures 6. As water cools, it precipitates out of solution at different temperatures
44
What is another term for fractures in the rock?
Hydrothermal veins
45
What is another term for precipitating out of solution at different temperatures?
Fractional crystallisation
46
What is the stock / resource base?
The total amount of a mineral present in the lithosphere
47
What is the resource?
The total amount of a mineral which could theoretically be extracted
48
What is the reserve?
The total amount of a mineral that can currently be extracted in a way which is economically viable
49
What would cause the reserve to increase?
- Decreased COOG - Advancement of technology - Increased market value - Reduced labour costs
50
What is the inferred reserve?
The presence of a mineral has been predicted due to knowledge of geological structures
51
What is the probable reserve?
Further exploitation is justified as sufficient information about the mineral presence is known
52
What is the proven reserve?
Sufficient exploration has accurately estimated the amount of a mineral which can be extracted economically
53
What does Lasky's principle state?
As the purity of a mineral decreases, the amount of the mineral increases exponentially
54
What is the COOG?
Cut-off ore grade - the minimum grade of a material (% purity) which can be extracted in an economically viable way
55
Why is surveying required before mineral extraction?
- Determines minerals present and their quantity - Avoids high costs, disruption and environmental damage
56
What is IR spectroscopy?
1. The IR emitted from Earth's surface is measured by satellites 2. Different materials emit IR at different wavelengths
57
What is gravimetry?
1. Gravimeters detect variations in Earth's gravitational field on the surface 2. An increased gravitational field reading indicates an increased density below Earth's surface
58
Which deposits can be identified using gravimetry?
Igneous rocks which are denser than sedimentary (e.g. lead and iron)
59
What is magnetometry?
1. Magnetometers detect magnetic rocks 2. Positive reading indicates presence of metals such as iron and cobalt
60
What are seismic surveys?
1. Artificial seismic waves produced by seismic vibrators 2. Geophones on surface detect waves reflecting off different strata 3. Determines depth and shape
61
What is a resistivity survey?
1. Electric current passed through probes placed in the ground 2. Low resistivity (high conductivity) indicates presence of metals such as copper
62
What is trial drilling?
1. Rock sample is physically collected 2. Confirms presence of a valuable material
63
What is chemical analysis?
1. Analysing trial drilling samples to determine presence and purity 2. Determines economic viability (COOG)
64
Which factors determine mine viability?
- Location - Purity - Hydrology - Chemical form - Market economics
65
How does location in the ground impact mine viability?
Deposits closer to the surface are easier and cheaper to extract using open-cast mining
66
How does purity impact mine viability?
- Minerals must be mined above the COOG for economic viability - Higher purity decreases waste material produced
67
How does hydrology impact mine viability?
- Deposits below the water table will cause the mine to flood - Water would need to be pumped out (expensive)
68
How does chemical form impact mine viability?
- Some ores may be purer than others - For example it is cheaper to process aluminium from bauxite ore than cryolite ore
69
How does exploration impact the environment?
Seismic vibrations disturb wildlife
70
How does land take impact the environment?
- Large land requirement for overburden and spoil dumping - Deep mining can be used to reduce this
71
How does air pollution impact the environment?
- Dust and particulates from mining - Water sprays can be used at entrances to remove particulates from the air
72
How does noise pollution impact the environment?
- Blasting and drilling impacts animal migration and communication - Timing restrictions and acoustic barriers can be implemented
73
How does increased turbidity impact the environment?
- Dust in local waterways can reduce light levels - Primary water treatment such as sedimentation can take place
74
How does toxic leachate impact the environment?
- Toxic materials such as heavy metals can harm living organisms - Leachate can be percolated through alkaline crushed limestone
75
How does spoil disposal impact the environment?
- Low-value waste materials which contain toxic leachate - Spoil can be returned to the ground or nutrients can be added to encourage plant growth
76
How does subsidence impact the environment?
- Ground may collapse over time due to underground voids - Void can be filled with spoil or used for CCS
77
What is spoil?
Solid waste material left behind after mining
78
How can remote sensing be improved?
Improved gravimetry and IR spectroscopy on satellites
79
How can portable field equipment be used?
- Smaller equipment - Longer battery life - Immediate results
80
How can deep mining become more mechanised?
- Machines can access hot places underground - Drilling through hard rocks
81
How can open cast mining become more mechanised?
- Larger machinery allows overburden to be extracted quickly - Giant bucket excavators
82
Why do we need to exploit low-grade deposits?
High grade deposits have already been mined
83
How does bioleaching work?
- Living organisms such as bacteria are used to extract metal from low-grade ores - Bacteria is introduced and oxidises it, causing metals to go into solution and be collected - Acidic conditions
84
How does phytomining work?
- Some plants absorb metal ions from water in the soil - Ions become concentrated in the plant tissues - Vegetation can be collected and incinerated to retrieve metal - Used to decontaminate polluted sites
85
How does iron displacement work?
- CuO + Fe -> FeO + Cu - Iron is more reactive than metals such as copper - Iron displaces copper in a displacement reaction to produce solid copper metal - Reduction occurs and Cu comes out of solution
86
How does leachate collection work?
- Rainwater is contaminated as it percolates through a spoil heap - Electrolysis can extract high concentrations of metal ions from the leachate solution
87
How does polymer adsorption work?
- Metal ions in seawater adsorb to polymers - Synthetic (plastic) or natural (lignin from wood) - Can extract uranium
88
What are polymetallic nodules?
- Metal rich nodules located on the seabed (4-5km depth) - Rich in metals (30% manganese, iron, nickel, etc)
89
How did polymetallic nodules form?
Metallic components precipitated out of solution and concentrated around a small solid object (e.g. shell remain)
90
How are polymetallic nodules collected?
- Nodule collector dredges 10-15cm of seabed - Crushed nodules pumped to the surface for transport
91
What are the environmental impacts of deep sea mining?
- Seabed disruption - Benthic organisms may be killed - Increased turbidity - Seafloor compaction
92
What are the advantages of recycling?
- Reduced landfill waste - Reduced demand for virgin materials - Reduced need for mining - Reduced air and noise pollution
93
What are the disadvantages of recycling?
- Difficult to identify and separate materials - Energy intensive - Often lower quality than virgin materials - Requires public co-operation
94
What is cradle to cradle design?
- Designing products so their components can be reused - Continuous cycle of material use - Easy to identify and separate - Production of new products using only renewable energy
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