Earths Natural Resources/Minerals/Mining

Earth’s Natural Resources

Natural Resources Materials or components that are derived from the natural environment Can be renewable or non-renewable Studying natural resources has become a focus of environmental science because of their rapid depletion/exploitation

Renewable Resources (Raw Materials) Water, Animals, Timber, Fruits/Veggies

Renewable Resources (Energy) Can be regenerated within a lifetime

All Renewable’s Are NOT Equal

Non-Renewable Resources Cannot be produced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate, once depleted there is no more available for future needs Ex: fossil fuels, mineral ores

What Does the Future Hold??

Manufacturing Creating goods from raw materials Requires a great deal of raw resources and fossil fuels Highly processed materials also creates waste products

Why Use Resources Useful for social purposes Ex: Development of technology for education or medical uses Useful for economic reasons Ex: Tax revenue, job creation

Minerals Any of various natural substances, such as: An element, such as gold or silver An organic derivative, such as coal or petroleum A substance, such as stone, sand, salt, or coal that is extracted or obtained from the ground or water

Minerals Every segment of society uses minerals and mineral resources everyday. The roads we drive on and the buildings we live, learn, and work in all contain minerals!!

Mineral Resource Use Ores contain minerals Processed to remove the metal Transported to manufacturing facility

Mining Often needed to access the mineral ores 4 major types Surface Open pit Strip Underground

Surface Mining Overlaying rock/topsoil is removed to access the mineral ore

Open Pit Mining Used when surface is unstable Mineral ore removed from large quarry

Strip Mining Similar to surface mining Layers are removed like an onion

Underground Mining Also called hard rock mining Used to excavate hard rocks containing minerals, usually metals

Mining Waste Mining produces an unbelievable amount of waste by-product Mining waste include waste generated during the extraction, refining, and processing of minerals -Extraction is the first phase of hard rock mining which consists of the initial removal of ore from the Earth

Mining Waste - Refining follows and is the initial attempt at liberating and concentrating the valuable mineral from the extracted ore, operations include: grinding, washing, crystallization, filtration, sorting, sizing, drying, etc.