Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources

1. Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Chapter 12

2. Core Case Study: Nanotechnology • Bottom-up manufacturing • Widespread applications • Potential risks • Need for guidelines and regulations • Future applications

3. Nanosolar Cells Fig. 12-1, p. 261

4. 12-1 What Are the Earth’s Major Geological Processes? • Concept 12-1 Gigantic plates in the earth’s crust move very slowly atop the planet’s mantle, and wind and water move matter from place to place across the earth’s surface.

5. The Earth Is a Dynamic Planet • What is geology? • Earth’s internal structure • Core • Mantle • Crust

6. Plate Tectonics • Tectonic plates • Lithosphere • Types of plate boundaries • Divergent • Convergent • Transform fault

7. Plate Tectonics and Natural Hazards • Earthquakes • Volcanoes • Tsunamis • Geologic recycling and biodiversity

8. Earth’s Crust and Upper Mantle

9. Folded mountain belt Volcanoes Oceanic ridge Trench Abyssal floor Abyssal floor Craton Abyssal hills Abyssal plain Oceanic crust (lithosphere) Abyssal plain Continental shelf Continental slope Continental rise Continental crust (lithosphere) Mantle (lithosphere) Mantle (lithosphere) Mantle (asthenosphere) Fig. 12-2, p. 263

10. Plate Tectonics

11. Spreading center Ocean trench Oceanic tectonic plate Oceanic tectonic plate Collision between two continents Plate movement Plate movement Subduction zone Tectonic plate Oceanic crust Oceanic crust Continental crust Continental crust Cold dense material falls back through mantle Material cools as it reaches the outer mantle Hot material rising through the mantle Mantle convection cell Mantle Two plates move towards each other. One is subducted back into the mantle on a falling convection current. Hot outer core Inner core Fig. 12-3, p. 264

12. Earth’s Major Tectonic Plates

13. EURASIAN PLATE NORTH AMERICAN PLATE ANATOLIAN PLATE CHINA SUBPLATE JUAN DE FUCA PLATE CARIBBEAN PLATE PHILIPPINE PLATE AFRICAN PLATE ARABIAN PLATE PACIFIC PLATE SOUTH AMERICAN PLATE NAZCA PLATE INDIA-AUSTRALIAN PLATE SOMALIAN SUBPLATE ANTARCTIC PLATE Fig. 12-4, p. 265

14. The San Andreas Fault Fig. 12-5, p. 265

15. External Earth Processes • Weathering • Physical • Chemical • Biological • Erosion • Rain, flowing water, wind • Glaciers

16. 12-2 What Are Minerals and Rocks and How Are Rocks Recycled? • Concept 12-2A Some naturally occurring materials in the earth’s crust can be extracted and processed into useful materials. • Concept 12-2B Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks in the earth’s crust are recycled very slowly by geologic processes.

17. Nonrenewable Mineral Resources (1) • Minerals • Mineral resource • Fossil fuels • Metallic • Nonmetallic

18. Nonrenewable Mineral Resources (2) • Identified resources • Reserves • Potential impact of nanotechnology

19. Rocks and Minerals • Rock • Igneous • Sedimentary • Metamorphic • Ore • High-grade ore • Low-grade ore • Rock cycle

20. The Rock Cycle

21. Erosion Transportation Weathering Deposition Igneous rock Granite, pumice, basalt Sedimentary rock Sandstone, limestone Heat, pressure Cooling Heat, pressure, stress Magma (molten rock) Melting Metamorphic rock Slate, marble, gneiss, quartzite Fig. 12-6, p. 267

22. 12-3 What Are the Harmful Environmental Effects of Using Mineral Resources? • Concept 12-3 Extracting and using mineral resources can disturb the land, erode soils, produce large amounts of solid waste, and pollute the air, water, and soil.

23. Environmental Impact of Using Mineral Resources (1) • High energy use • Disturb land • Erode soil • Produce solid waste

24. Environmental Impact of Using Mineral Resources (2) • Pollute air, water, and soil • Total impact may depend on grade of ore

25. Life Cycle of a Metal Resource

26. Smelting Surface mining Melting metal Metal ore Separation of ore from gangue Conversion to product Discarding of product Recycling Fig. 12-7, p. 268

27. Conversion to product Surface mining Melting metal Metal ore Separation of ore from gangue Discarding of product Smelting Recycling Stepped Art Fig. 12-7, p. 268

28. Environmental Effects of Using Mineral and Energy Resources Fig. 12-8, p. 268

29. Extracting Mineral Deposits • Surface mining • Subsurface mining • Overburden • Spoils

30. Mining Methods • Open-pit mining • Strip mining • Area strip mining • Contour strip mining • Mountaintop removal

31. Open-pit Mining Fig. 12-9, p. 269

32. Strip Mining Fig. 12-10, p. 269

33. Contour Strip Mining

34. Undisturbed land Overburden Highwall Coal seam Overburden Pit Bench Coal seam Spoil banks Fig. 12-11, p. 270

35. Mountaintop Mining Fig. 12-12, p. 270

36. Harmful Environmental Effects of Mining • Disruption of land surface • Subsidence • Toxic-laced mining wastes • Acid mine drainage • Air pollution

37. Harmful Environmental Effects of Removing Metals from Ores • Ore mineral – desired metal • Gangue – waste material • Smelting • Air polluting by-products • Chemical removal processes • Toxic holding ponds

38. 12-4 How Long Will Mineral Resources Last? • Concept 12-4 An increase in the price of a scarce mineral resource can lead to increased supplies and more efficient use of the mineral, but there are limits to this effect.

39. Uneven Distribution of Mineral Resources • Abundant minerals • Scarce minerals • Exporters and importers • Strategic metal resources • Economic and military strength • U.S. dependency – four critical minerals • Sources?

40. Supplies of Mineral Resources • Available supply and use • Economic depletion • Six choices after depletion • Recycle, reuse, waste less, use less, find a substitute, do without • Depletion time

41. Depletion Curves for a Nonrenewable Resource

42. Mine, use, throw away; no new discoveries; rising prices A Recycle; increase reserves by improved mining technology, higher prices, and new discoveries B Recycle, reuse, reduce consumption; increase reserves by improved mining technology, higher prices, and new discoveries Production C Present Depletion time A Depletion time B Depletion time C Time Fig. 12-13, p. 272

43. Effect of Market Prices on Supplies of Nonrenewable Resources • Role of economics in mining • Standard economic theory • Limited free market in developed countries • Subsides, taxes, regulations, import tariffs • Economic problems of developing new mines

44. Mining Lower-grade Ores • Improved equipment and technologies • Limiting factors • Cost • Supplies of freshwater • Environmental impacts • Biomining • In-situ mining • Genetic engineering

45. Ocean Mining (1) • Minerals from seawater • Minerals for ocean sediments • Hydrothermal deposits • Manganese-rich nodules

46. Ocean Mining (2) • Mining issues in international waters • Environmental issues

47. 12-5 How Can We Use Mineral Resources More Sustainably? • Concept 12-5 We can try to find substitutes for scarce resources, recycle and reuse minerals, reduce resource waste, and convert the wastes from some businesses into raw materials for other businesses.

48. Finding Substitutes and Alternatives for Scarce Mineral Resources • Materials revolution • Ceramics and plastics • Limitations • Recycle and reuse • Less environmental impact

49. Using Nonrenewable Resources More Sustainably • Decrease use and waste • 3M Company • Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program • Economic and environmental benefits of cleaner production

50. Sustainable Use of Nonrenewable Minerals Fig. 12-14, p. 275