Two more examples of Human Footprint- Nat’l Geo video Watch and discuss

Chapter 16 Minerals: A Non-renewable Resource

Question of the Day: o Describe what you know about mining in the US. o What mineral resources does PA have? o Why are mineral resources valuable?

Overview of Chapter 16 o Introduction to Minerals Mineral Distribution and Formation Mineral Distribution and Formation How Minerals are Found and Extracted How Minerals are Found and Extracted o Environmental Impact of Minerals o An International Perspective o Increasing the Supply of Minerals o Substitution and Conservation

Mining

Mine disaster 2010 o ns/us_news-life/ ns/us_news-life/ ns/us_news-life/ o Update to 2010 Explosion o 9mine.html 9mine.html 9mine.html o And business goes on: Massey Energy Sold o 29/alpha-natural-agrees-to-buy-massey- energy-for-8-5-billion-in-cash-stock.html 29/alpha-natural-agrees-to-buy-massey- energy-for-8-5-billion-in-cash-stock.html 29/alpha-natural-agrees-to-buy-massey- energy-for-8-5-billion-in-cash-stock.html

Update to Massey Energy disaster o bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/06/MN141 M90M4.DTL bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/06/MN141 M90M4.DTL bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/06/MN141 M90M4.DTL

Introduction to Minerals o Minerals Elements or compounds of elements that occur naturally in Earth’s crust Elements or compounds of elements that occur naturally in Earth’s crust o Rocks Naturally formed aggregates of minerals Naturally formed aggregates of minerals o Examples of Minerals Concrete (mixture of Concrete (mixture of sand, gravel and sand, gravel and limestone) limestone)

Introduction to Minerals o Examples of Minerals Table salt (nonmetal) Table salt (nonmetal) Copper (metal) Copper (metal)

Mineral Distribution and Formation o Abundant minerals in crust Aluminum and iron Aluminum and iron o Scarce minerals in crust Copper, chromium, and molybdenum Copper, chromium, and molybdenum o Distributed unevenly across globe If found in low abundance, mining is not profitable If found in low abundance, mining is not profitable

Formation of Mineral Deposits o Result of natural processes Magmatic concentration Magmatic concentration As magma cools heavier elements (Fe and Mg) settle As magma cools heavier elements (Fe and Mg) settle Responsible for deposits of Fe, Cu, Ni, Cr Responsible for deposits of Fe, Cu, Ni, Cr Hydrothermal processes Hydrothermal processes Minerals are carried and deposited by water heated deep in earth’s crust Minerals are carried and deposited by water heated deep in earth’s crust Sedimentation Sedimentation Weathered particles are transported by water and deposited as sediment on sea floor or shore Weathered particles are transported by water and deposited as sediment on sea floor or shore Evaporation Evaporation Salts are left behind after water body dries up Salts are left behind after water body dries up

Geology 101 o /rkcycleindex.html /rkcycleindex.html /rkcycleindex.html

Discovering Mineral Deposits o Scientists (geologists) use a variety of instruments and measurements Aerial or satellite photography Aerial or satellite photography Aircraft and satellite instruments that measure Earth’s magnetic field Aircraft and satellite instruments that measure Earth’s magnetic field Seismographs Seismographs o Combine this with knowledge of how minerals are formed

Extracting Minerals o Surface Mining Mineral and energy resources are extracted near Earth’s surface by removing soil, subsoil and over-lying rock strata Mineral and energy resources are extracted near Earth’s surface by removing soil, subsoil and over-lying rock strata More common because less expensive More common because less expensive Two kinds: open pit and strip mining Two kinds: open pit and strip mining o Subsurface Mining Mineral and energy resources are extracted from deep underground deposits Mineral and energy resources are extracted from deep underground deposits Two kinds: shaft mine and slope mine Two kinds: shaft mine and slope mine

Ode to Miners o ing_processes_and_mining_products_used _everyday.aspx ing_processes_and_mining_products_used _everyday.aspx ing_processes_and_mining_products_used _everyday.aspx

Extracting Minerals- Open Pit Surface Mining

Processing Minerals o Smelting- process in which ore is melted at high temps to separate impurities from the molten metal

Historical Blast Furnace o opewellintheamericanrevolution.htm opewellintheamericanrevolution.htm opewellintheamericanrevolution.htm

Environmental Impacts of Minerals o Disturbs large area Prone to erosion Prone to erosion o Uses large quantities of water Must pump water out of mine to keep it dry Must pump water out of mine to keep it dry o Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dissolved lead, arsenic or cadmium wash out of mines into nearby waterways Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dissolved lead, arsenic or cadmium wash out of mines into nearby waterways

Environmental Impacts of Refining Minerals

o 80% or more of mined ore consists of impurities- called tailings Contain toxic materials Contain toxic materials o Smelting plants emit large amounts of air pollutants o Requires a lot of energy (fossil fuels combustion)

Case-In-Point Copper Basin, TN

Questions from Smithsonian Article: o What is the controversy in Ansted, WV? o What are some of the impacts of mountain top removal? o How important is land reclamation? How should it be done? o Today’s Lab- Mining simulation

“Devastation from Above” o nature/Devastation-From-Above.html# nature/Devastation-From-Above.html# nature/Devastation-From-Above.html#

Smithsonian article- Further discussion

Restoration of Mining Lands o Goals: prevent further degradation and erosion of land, eliminate local sources of toxins and make land productive for another purpose

Restoration of Mining Land o Creative Approaches o - Wetlands Trap sediment and pollutants before they get into streams, improving water quality Trap sediment and pollutants before they get into streams, improving water quality Expensive to create and maintain, but cost effective compared to using lime to decrease acidity Expensive to create and maintain, but cost effective compared to using lime to decrease acidity o - Phytoremediation Use of specific plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials in soil Use of specific plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials in soil Great potential Great potential

Minerals: An International Perspective o Highly developed countries rely on mineral deposits in developing countries They have exhausted their own supplies They have exhausted their own supplies o Governments in developing countries lack financial resources to handle pollution Acid mine drainage Acid mine drainage Air and water pollution Air and water pollution

North American Consumption of Selected Metals

Will We Run Out of Important Metals? o Mineral Reserves Mineral deposits that have been identified and are currently profitable to extract Mineral deposits that have been identified and are currently profitable to extract

Increasing Supply of Minerals – Locating and Mining New Deposits o Many known mineral deposits have not yet been exploited Difficult to access Difficult to access Ex: Malaria ridden forests of Indonesia Ex: Malaria ridden forests of Indonesia Insufficient technology Insufficient technology Ex: polar regions Ex: polar regions Located too deep Located too deep Ex: 10km or deeper Ex: 10km or deeper

Increasing Supply of Minerals – Minerals in Antarctica o No substantial mineral deposits identified to date Geologists feel they will be discovered in near future Geologists feel they will be discovered in near future No one owns Antarctica No one owns Antarctica o Antarctica Treaty (1961) Limits activity to peaceful uses (i.e. scientific studies) Limits activity to peaceful uses (i.e. scientific studies) o Madrid Protocol (1990) Moratorium on mineral exploration and development for minimum of 50 years Moratorium on mineral exploration and development for minimum of 50 years

Increasing Supply of Minerals- Minerals from the Ocean o May provide us with future supplies Extracting minerals from seawater Extracting minerals from seawater Mining seafloor- Manganese nodules (below) Mining seafloor- Manganese nodules (below)

Advance Mining and Processing Technologies o Special techniques to make use of large, low-grade mineral deposits world-wide Currently requires a lot of energy Currently requires a lot of energy o Biomining Using microorganisms to extract minerals from low-grade ores Using microorganisms to extract minerals from low-grade ores

Finding Mineral Substitutes o Important goal in manufacturing Driven by economics- cut costs! Driven by economics- cut costs! o Substitute expensive/scarce mineral resources for inexpensive/abundant ones o Examples: Using plastic, glass or aluminum in place of tin Using plastic, glass or aluminum in place of tin Using plastic instead of lead and steel in telecommunications cables Using plastic instead of lead and steel in telecommunications cables Using glass fibers instead of copper wiring in telephone cables Using glass fibers instead of copper wiring in telephone cables

Mineral Conservation o Includes reuse and recycling of existing mineral supplies Reuse- using items over and over again Reuse- using items over and over again Reduces both mineral consumption and pollution Reduces both mineral consumption and pollution Benefits greater than recycling Benefits greater than recycling Recycling- converting item into new product Recycling- converting item into new product Common practice throughout industrialized world Common practice throughout industrialized world Reduces land destruction from mining Reduces land destruction from mining Reduces solid waste Reduces solid waste Decreases energy consumption and pollution Decreases energy consumption and pollution

Changing Our Mineral Requirements o Must change out “throw away” mentality Damaged or unneeded articles are thrown away Damaged or unneeded articles are thrown away

Cell Phone recycling o Ce9PM&NR=1&feature=fvwp Ce9PM&NR=1&feature=fvwp Ce9PM&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Mineral Flow in an Industrial Society