California's Mineral Resources and Earth's Energy

1. Unit 6: Earth’s Resources

2. I. California’s Mineral Resources • Industrial Minerals 1. California’s most valuable industrial minerals are sand and gravel (used in road-building and construction.) 2. Limestone is crushed and used to make cement. The limestone was formed from shells and skeletons of marine organisms.

3. Metallic Minerals 1. Gold and Silver often occur in quartz veins in rocks. A placer deposit forms if they settle out of moving water. 2. Iron is mined in the Mojave desert.

4. Nonmetallic Minerals 1. Borates are mined in Southern CA, and used in fiberglass, detergents, glass, & ceramics. 2. Gypsum is used in wallboard, plaster, and cement. 3. Clay is used for ceramics and bricks.

5. II. Formation of Mineral Deposits • Igneous Processes produce many metallic minerals; as magma cools, heavy minerals sink to the bottom of the magma chamber. • Hydrothermal (Hot Water)Solutions 1. Metal ions (gold, silver, etc.) collect in hot water near the top of the magma chamber. 2. The mineral-rich water seeps into cracks, cools, and leaves behind vein deposits.

6. Vein deposits

7. III. Non-Renewable Energy Resources • Non-renewable resources take millions of years to form and accumulate. When the present supply runs out, there won’t be any more. B. Coal, Oil (Petroleum) and Natural Gas are also called fossil fuels because they came from once-living things.

8. Coal 1. Heat and pressure change plant material that was buried in swamps into coal.

9. 2. There are 4 stages in the process of changing plant material into coal.

11. 3. Most coal contains sulfur. Burning the coal releases the sulfur, which then combines with water in the air to make acid rain.

13. Petroleum (Oil) and Natural Gas 1. Formed from the remains of plants and animals that were buried in ancient seas.

14. Oil is often found in layers of rock that are arched upward, called anticlines. • Oil traps have 2 things in common. a. Permeable rock, like sandstone, that allows the oil & gas to collect. This rock is often called a reservoir. b. Impermeable rock, like shale, that keeps the oil & gas from escaping. This rock is often called a cap rock.

15. Anticlines are common oil traps; gas and oil float on the water contained in the reservoir rock. shale • sandstone shale

16. Petroleum is a mixture of hydrocarbons. methaneethane propane a. Shorter carbon chains are gases or liquids; longer chains [up to 60 carbon atoms] are solids, like wax and asphalt. b. Most (2/3) of the petroleum is used for transportation, but it is also used to make plastics, glues, fabrics, deodorant, tires, aspirin, contact lenses, insecticides, etc!

17. Lowest Boiling Point Gases Refiningcrude oil: Components of petroleum are removed at various levels, depending on their boiling points, in a giant distillation column. The components with the lowest boiling points are removed at the top of the column. Gasoline Aviation fuel Heating oil Diesel oil Naphtha Grease and wax Heated crude oil Asphalt Furnace Highest Boiling Point

18. Petroleum affects the environment. a. Causes air & water pollution b. Drilling can disturb the environment c. Oil spills endanger wildlife [so does careless disposal of motor oil]

19. Nuclear Energy (Uranium) 1. In nuclear fission, the nuclei of uranium atoms are bombarded with neutrons, causing them to split. A large amount of energy is released. +Energy!

20. The energy released is used to boil water into steam, which turns turbines to generate electricity. • An advantage of nuclear energy is that it doesn’t burn fuel, so it doesn’t pollute the air. • A disadvantage is that it produces radioactive waste that must be safely stored underground for thousands of years.

22. IV. Renewable Energy Resources • Renewable energy resources can be replenished in a fairly short period of time, such as months, years, or decades. B. Solar Energy is Earth’s most abundant energy. Solar energy far exceeds the amount of Earth’s internal, or geothermal, energy. 1. Solar energy has 2 advantages: it is free to use, and is non-polluting.

23. Two disadvantages are the cost of the equipment, and the fact that a large area is needed for the solar collectors.

24. Solar energy is produced by the nuclear fusion of Hydrogen (H) into Helium (He).

25. Wind energy has been used for centuries! (Ex: sailing ships, windmills) 1. The ultimate source of wind energy is the uneven heating of Earth’s surface.

26. Advantages: free to use, non-polluting. • Disadvantages: a. may injure birds & bats b. noise (constant low “swoosh” sound) c. land may be expensive d. need backup for non-windy days.

27. Hydropower (Hydroelectric Power) 1. The ultimate source of energy is the sun because it powers the water cycle. 2. Often, the water is held in a reservoir behind a dam. When it falls, the energy turns the turbine.

28. Advantages: a. Once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free. b. No waste or pollution produced. c. More reliable than wind or solar. d. Water can be stored above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand. e. Reservoirs can be used for recreation. f. Flood control

29. Disadvantages a. Expensive to build b. Affects wildlife --Causes problems for animals that used to live there --Water quality and quantity downstream can be affected, which can have an impact on plant life. HetchHetchy Valley HetchHetchy Reservoir

30. Geothermal 1. Uses heat from underground areas that have had recent volcanic activity. 2. The heat energy in Earth’s core is generated by slow radioactive decay and is brought to the surface by magma.

31. 3. There is a geothermal plant near Mammoth • Mountain named • Casa Diablo, and one near San Francisco named The Geysers.

32. Advantages a. Once it is built, the energy is almost free b. No greenhouse gases released c. No pollution • Disadvantages a. There are not many places where you can build a geothermal plant. b. The site may “run out of steam”

33. Biomass is anything that was once alive that can be used as an energy source. 1. Biomass gets its energy from the sun during photosynthesis.

34. There are 4 ways to release the energy stored in biomass. a. burning (wood, manure, garbage) b. bacterial decay (methane is released) c. fermentation (add yeast to produce ethanol) d. conversion (add heat or chemicals to change it to a liquid fuel)

35. Environmental Effects a. Some air pollutants are made, but it is less than that from burning fossil fuels. b. Burning biomass produces CO2, but when biomass is growing, it absorbs CO2 during photosynthesis. c. The fuel is cheap, and we are making use of a waste product.