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Mineral Resources and Mining

Mineral Resources and Mining. 13. CHAPTER. Talk About It Is it important to think about the sources of the minerals we use?. Mining for . . . Cell Phones?. Large reserves of the metal tantalum are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Africa.

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Mineral Resources and Mining

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  1. Mineral Resources and Mining 13 CHAPTER

  2. Talk About ItIs it important to think about the sources of the minerals we use? Mining for . . . Cell Phones? • Large reserves of the metal tantalum are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Africa. • Tantalum jumped in value in the 1990s as high-tech devices that need tantalum, such as cell phones, became common. • There is international concern regarding the role tantalum mining has played in the extended conflict in the Congo.

  3. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks Over 4000 minerals have been identified, but only 1% of these are common in Earth’s crust. Amethyst

  4. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks What Are Minerals? • Occur in nature • Chemically inorganic • Solids • Have orderly crystalline structures • Have definite chemical compositions

  5. Minerals in Mining vs. Minerals in Food • Minerals in food are not are not true “minerals” • They are not naturally occurring…they are produced in laboratories. • They do not have a crystalline structure (they are actually elements) • Which criteria of minerals do they meet?

  6. Polymorphs • A specific mineral must be the same in all 5 categories. • Polymorphs have the same chemical composition (are naturally occurring, inorganic, and a solid) but have different crystalline structures. • Example: Diamond vs. Graphite • Inorganic • Found in nature • Made of pure carbon • Solid • Different chemical structures!!!!

  7. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks Properties of Minerals

  8. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks Mineral Formation • Minerals can form in four ways: • Crystallization from magma (under surface) or lava (at surface) • Pressure and temperature…POLYMORPHS • Precipitation (not rain) • Production by organisms

  9. Mineral Formation continued…. Salt basins of the Sierra Nevada The Miwok people filled these basins with water from a salt spring and let it evaporate, to form salt for trading. Coral Mineral formed by living things Minerals formed from Precipitation

  10. Modeling Precipitation

  11. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks Mineral Classes • Minerals are classified based on their elements or compounds.

  12. Let’s Practice…. Identifying Minerals using their Properties

  13. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks Rocks • Naturally occurring solids made up of minerals and mineral-like materials • Rocks: Mixtures and Minerals: Substances • Three types: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic • The rock cycle slowly changes rocks from one type to another through heating, melting, cooling, weathering, and erosion.

  14. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks Types of Rocks • Igneous: Form when magma cools and solidifies; can be intrusive or extrusive Did You Know?In general, the more slowly igneous rock cools, the larger its crystals.

  15. Types of Rocks Continued…. • Sedimentary: Form when sediments cement together or when water evaporates and leaves behind minerals; can be clastic, chemical, or biochemical

  16. Types of Rocks continued (again)…. • Metamorphic: Form when heat or pressure changes the crystalline structure of existing rock

  17. Video

  18. Lesson 13.2 Mining More than a ton of waste may remain after extracting just a few hundredths of an ounce of gold.

  19. Warm-Up What do you know about mining? (list at least 5 things) • Things to think about: • What types of resources are mined? • How do we mine? • What environmental consequences are associated to mining? • What social consequences are associated to mining?

  20. What Is Mined? Lesson 13.2 Mining • Ores: Groups of minerals that are mined so metal or metals can be removed; Example: Coltan and Tantalum; Bauxite and Aluminum • Nonmetallic minerals:Minerals, including gemstones, that as a whole have valuable properties (may contain metal but is not mined for metal) • Sand, Gravel, Stone, Clay • Fuels: Minerals that can be used to generate energy like coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium • Water Copper Ores

  21. Process of Mining and Mineral Use Lesson 13.2 Mining From initial exploration to disposal, mining and mineral use involve many steps.

  22. Activity • Objective: To successfully operate an environmentally sound iron mine by attempting to gather a profit as you extract the iron ore (chocolate chips) from the land (cookies).

  23. Mining Methods Lesson 13.2 Mining • Strip mining • Subsurface mining • Open pit mining • Mountaintop removal • Solution mining • Placer mining • Undersea mining A strip mining operation in Wyoming Did You Know?Some subsurface mines in South Africa extend 4 km underground.

  24. Strip Mining • Layers of surface soil and rock are removed to expose resource

  25. Subsurface Mining • Vertical shafts are dug deep into the ground and networks of tunnels are dug to follow deposits of the resource

  26. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=39.656456&lon=-77.677288&z=17&m=bhttp://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=39.656456&lon=-77.677288&z=17&m=b Open Pit Mining • Digging a large hole and removing the resource and unwanted rock that surrounds the resource • Large hole is called a Quarry

  27. Mountaintop Removal • Similar to strip mining

  28. Solution Mining • Resource must be dissolvable in water

  29. Placer Mining

  30. Undersea Mining

  31. Quick Activity We are going to mine a Ding Dong to retrieve the mystery ore (the cream). To do this….. • Insert the straw into your Ding Dong • Measure how far down from the top of the Ding Dong to the cream. • You will be assigned one of three mining methods to use to extract the mystery ore. • Subsurface mining • Strip mining • Open pit mining • Complete mining using a plastic knife or a straw and be ready to answer questions!!!

  32. Processing Ore Lesson 13.2 Mining • Ores must be processed to gain access to the metals they contain: • Ore is crushed and ground. • Crushed ore is separated into metals and tailings. • Froth Flotation • Concentrated metals are further processed, often by smelting.

  33. Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation There are about $314 million worth of metals contained in unused cell phones in the United States alone.

  34. Environmental Impacts of Mining Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation • Increased erosion • Sediment and debris clog waterways. • Acid drainage and other forms of water pollution • Air pollution • Disruption of ocean ecosystems (undersea mining) • Destruction of habitat Mine Remediation Mitigation of damage caused to the hillside by strip mining

  35. Social Impacts of Mining Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation • Property damage caused by mountaintop removal or mine collapse • Although mining can bring money and jobs to poor areas of the world, conflicts can arise over mineral rights. • Mining can be hazardous to the health of the miners. Did You Know?Around 650 miners or former miners died from complications related to black lung disease in 2005. Several damaged areas in the Northern Coeur d’Alene Mining District, in Idaho

  36. Mining for Coltan Activity: Plight of the Gorilla Reading

  37. General Mining Law of 1872 Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation • Created rules to manage mining activity, but also promoted mining • Public land can be claimed and leased from the government for mining. • Claim owners can file to patent, or own, the land for $5 per acre. • The same price as 1872 • Amendments are currently being considered • Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act (2009): ends the patenting process and requires miners to pay the government percentages of their profits

  38. Additional Mining Regulations Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation • Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 governs leasing of public lands for fossil fuel, phosphate, sodium, and sulfur mining. • Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977)requires that coal-mining companies restore land after mining is complete. An abandoned mine in New York state, now home to hibernating bats

  39. Mine Safety Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation • First law, passed in 1891, established ventilation requirements for coal mines and prohibited miners under 12. • Today, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 regulates mine safety. • In 2010, an underground explosion in a West Virginia mine killed 29 miners.

  40. Responsible Mineral Use Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation • Minerals are nonrenewable resources. • Reducing use, reusing, and recycling minerals can help minimize the negative impacts of mining and address limited supplies. Did You Know?Extracting aluminum ore takes 20 times more energy than obtaining it from recycled sources.

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