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Minerals and mining Flashcards

1
Q

Where do active margins occur?

A

Where two plates slide towards each other forming either a subduction zone or a continental collision

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2
Q

What are deep marine trenches typically associated with?

A

Subduction zones

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3
Q

Why is volcanism linked to subduction zones?

A

Because of the friction and heat from the subducting slab

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4
Q

List the 8 processes in the rock cycle

A 
Weathering produces sediment
Sediment transport
Sediment deposition
Burial and lithification
Heat and pressure
More heating and melting
Cooling and crystalization
Uplift and mountain building
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5
Q

Explain the weathering produces sediment stage

A

Exposure to the elements and mass wasting degrades rock to sediment

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6
Q

Explain the sediment transport process?

A

This is done by wind, water and waves for example

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7
Q

Explain the sediment deposition process

A

In floodplains, lakes, alluvial fans, beacjes and the oceans. Also chemical precipitation and accumulation of dead plant and animal material

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8
Q

Explain the burial and lithication proccess

A

Increased pressure and cemntation transforms sediment to rock

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9
Q

Explain the heat and pressure stage

A

When the depth of burial exceeds 10km and temperatures are over 300 C minerals in the rock recrystalize to more stable forms (without melting)

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10
Q

Explain the more heat and melting process

A

From partial melting of the upper mantle, partial melting at the top of a subducting plate, rising convection currents in the mantle or mantle plumes. Heat melts the rocks to form magma

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11
Q

Explain the cooling and crystalisation process

A

If magma cools slowly deep within the Earth it forms plutonic rock.
If magma comes to the surface and cools rapidly it forms volcanic rock

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12
Q

Explain the uplift and mountain building process

A

Deformation of crust (lengthening and shortening) caused by movement of plates exposes rocks at the surface of the earth

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13
Q

How are sedimentary rocks made?

A

From burial and lithification

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14
Q

How are metamorphic rocks made?

A

From heat and pressure

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15
Q

How are igneous rocks made?

A

From more heat which causes them to melt and then recrystalise

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16
Q

Where can chalks and cherts be found?

A

On the deep ocean floor

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17
Q

Where can muds be found?

A

On the continental rise

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18
Q

Where can sands and muds be found?

A

On the continental shelf and slope

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19
Q

Where can peats and muds be found?

A

Peat in swamps

Mud on floodplains

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20
Q

Where can sands be found?

A

In river channels

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21
Q

Where can gravels be found?

A

In fans and channels

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22
Q

What are mineral locations often related to?

A

Active tectonic zones and tectonic zones that were active in the past

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23
Q

What has economical importance?

A

The trade of minerals

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24
Q

Explain what has happened in terms of mineral rushes?

A

There used to be a gold rush and other mineral rushes in the past.
There are still mineral rushes today but in different ways

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25
Define mineral
Naturally occurring, inorganic substances that possess a definite chemical composition and characteristic atomic structure
26
What sort of structure do most minerals have?
A crystalline structure
27
Define rocks
Minerals are combined into rocks so they are an assemblage of minerals in the solid state
28
What are the three types of rock?
Metamorphic Sedimentary Igneous
29
What types of rock only contain one mineral?
Limestone and quartzite
30
What is granite a mixture of?
Mica, feldspar and quartz crystals
31
What is a mineral?
An element or inorganic compound that occurs naturally in the earth's crust as a solid with a regular internal crystalline structure
32
Name 3 minerals that only contain one element
Gold Silver Diamond
33
How many minerals are there?
Over 2000
34
What is salt?
A mineral made of sodium chloride
35
What is quartzite?
Silicon dioxide
36
How can the reserve size be calculated?
Using maths
37
What used to be thought about reserves?
They were thought to be huge
38
What issues are there with open cast mining?
Environmental issues
39
What has changed since mining began?
There have been changes in the way we mine, we used to send people down
40
Where does open cast mining take place?
Below the water table
41
what is an issue with open cast mining?
Groundwater can become toxic
42
What happens to some areas after mining?
They are re-landscaped
43
What are the 4 ways in which mineral resources can be categorized?
Identified Undiscovered Reserves Other
44
What is meant by identified?
Known location, quantity and quality or existence based on direct evidence and measurements
45
What is meant by undiscovered?
Potential supplies that are assumed to exist
46
What is meant by reserves?
Identifies resources that can be extracted profitably
47
What is meant by other?
Undiscovered or unidentified resources not classified as reserves
48
What needs to be considered before mineral extraction?
Costs Safety factors Levels of environmental harm
49
What is surface mining?
Shallow deposits are removed
50
What is subsurface mining?
Deep deposits are removed
51
What are 3 issues with subsurface mining?
Leaves some resource behind More dangerous Expensive
52
What is an advantage of subsurface mining?
It impacts less terrain
53
What happens in open cast mining?
Holes are dug and ores, sand, gravel and stone are removed
54
How does area strip mining take place?
Earth movers strip away overburden, and giant shovels remove mineral deposit.
55
What are spoil banks?
Highly erodible hills of rubble
56
What type of mining creates spoil banks?
Area strip mining | Contour strip mining
57
Where does area strip mining usually take place?
Usually on hilly or mountainous terrain
58
What is left behind if the land is not restored in area strip mining?
A wall of dirt is left in front of a highly erodible bank called a high-wall
59
What is contour strip mining?
This cuts terraces around the side of a hill, also leaves a high wall
60
What are 6 environmental impacts of mining?
``` Acid mine drainage Erosion and sedimentation Cyanide and other toxic releases Dust emissions Habitat modification Surface and groundwater contamination ```
61
How is metal extracted from its metal ores?
Metal ores are smelted or treated with potentially toxic chemicals to extract the desired metal
62
What is subsidence?
A phenomenon where the surface collapses directly above a subsurface mine
63
What are spoils?
The unwanted rock and other waste left over after mining either on the surface or subsurface
64
What are tailings?
These are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the worthless fraction of an ore
65
What has happened as a result of mining in the US?
More than 500 mountain tops have been removed to extract coal and the resulting spoils have buried more than 1100km of streams
66
What is an issue with sub-surface mining in tropical areas?
It destroys and degrades vital biodiversity when forests are cleared and rivers are polluted with mining wastes
67
Which toxic waste material can cause poisoning and irreversible brain damage in children?
Lead dust
68
How does acid mine drainage occur?
Rainwater seeps through a mine or a spoils pile carries sulfuric acid to nearby streams and groundwater
69
What percentage of watersheds have been polluted by mining in the USA?
40% of western watersheds in the USA
70
What proportion of all US emissions of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere does mining account for?
50%
71
Where does much of the degradation come from?
Leaking storage ponds that were built to hold toxic sludge that is produced from mining and processing of metal ores
72
What steps are involved in mining production?
Mining - exploration, extraction Processing- transportation, purification, manufacturing Use- transportation or transmission to individual user, eventual use and discarding The energy used to carry out these actions also has environmental impacts
73
Explain ideas relating to depletion
Depletion curves for a renewable resource use three sets of assumptions
74
How can the environmental impact of mining be minimised?
Scientists and engineers are developing new types of materials as substitutes for many metals Recycling valuable and scarce metals saves money and has a lower environmental impact than mining and extracting them from their ores
75
What does the future of a resource depend upon?
Its affordable supply and how rapidly the supply is used
76
What can a rising price do for a scarce mineral?
It can increase supplies and encourage more efficient use
77
What costs should be included in the price to make the use of non-renewable minerals
Include the harmful costs of mining and processing minerals in the prices of items
78
How can the government reduce the environmental impact of mining?
Reduce mining subsidies
79
How can manufacturing processes improve the environmental impact of mining?
Redesign manufacturing processes to use less mineral resources and to produce less pollution and waste
80
What are 6 minerals that could be extracted from the oceans?
``` Iron Sodium chloride Manganese on the deep ocean floor Diamond Magnesium Bromine ```
81
What does hydraulic fracking often involve?
The injection of more than a million gallons of water, chemicals, sand and high pressure down the well
82
Why is pressurised fluid inserted into fracking wells?
It causes the formation to crack, allowing natural gas or oil to flow up the well
83
What is meant by water acquisition?
Large volumes of water are transported for the fracturing process
84
What is meant by chemical mixing?
Equipment mixes water, chemicals, and sand at the well site
85
What is meant by well injection?
The hydraulic fracturing fluid is pumped into the well at high injection rates
86
What is meant by flowback and produced water?
Recovered water is stored on-site open pits or storage banks
87
What is meant by waste water treatment and waste disposal?
The wastewater is then transported for treatment and/or disposal
88
How can drinking water get fracked?
Toxic chemicals from fracking seep into the bedrock and seep up into drinking aquifers which then enters water drinking systems

GEO1005 (8 decks)

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