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Geology and Nonrenewable Minerals
Chapter 14
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Core Case Study: Environmental Effects of Gold Mining
Gold producers South Africa Australia United States Canada Cyanide heap leaching Extremely toxic to birds and mammals 2000: Collapse of a dam retaining a cyanide leach pond Impact on organisms and the environment
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Gold Mine with Cyanide Leach Piles and Ponds in South Dakota, U.S.
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14-1 What Are the Earth’s Major Geological Processes and Hazards?
Concept 14-1A Gigantic plates in the earth’s crust move very slowly atop the planet’s mantle, and wind and water move the matter from place to place across the earth’s surface. Concept 14-1B Natural geological hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, and landslides can cause considerable damage.
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The Earth Is a Dynamic Planet
What is geology? Three major concentric zones of the earth Core Mantle Including the asthenosphere Crust Continental crust Oceanic crust: 71% of crust
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Major Features of the Earth’s Crust and Upper Mantle
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Mantle (asthenosphere)
Volcanoes Folded mountain belt Abyssal floor Oceanic ridge Abyssal floor Abyssal hills Trench Craton Abyssal plain Oceanic crust (lithosphere) Abyssal plain Continental shelf Continental slope Continental rise Mantle (lithosphere) Continental crust (lithosphere) Mantle (lithosphere) Figure 14.2 Major features of the earth’s crust and upper mantle. The lithosphere, composed of the crust and outermost mantle, is rigid and brittle. The asthenosphere, a zone in the mantle, can be deformed by heat and pressure. Mantle (asthenosphere) Fig. 14-2, p. 346
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The Earth Beneath Your Feet Is Moving (1)
Convection cells, or currents Tectonic Plates Lithosphere
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The Earth Beneath Your Feet Is Moving (2)
Three types of boundaries between plates Divergent plates Magma Oceanic ridge Convergent plates Subduction Subduction zone Trench Transform fault; e.g., San Andreas fault
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The Earth’s Crust Is Made Up of a Mosaic of Huge Rigid Plates: Tectonic Plates
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Collision between two continents
Spreading center Ocean trench Oceanic tectonic plate Oceanic tectonic plate Plate movement Collision between two continents Plate movement Tectonic plate Subduction zone Oceanic crust Oceanic crust Continental crust Continental crust Cold dense material falls back through mantle Material cools as it reaches the outer mantle Mantle convection cell Hot material rising through the mantle Figure 14.3 The earth’s crust is made up of a mosaic of huge rigid plates, called tectonic plates, which move very slowly across the asthenosphere in response to forces in the mantle. See an animation based on this figure at CengageNOW™. Two plates move towards each other. One is subducted back into the mantle on a falling convection current. Mantle Hot outer core Inner core Fig. 14-3, p. 346
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The Earth’s Major Tectonic Plates
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Divergent plate boundaries Convergent plate boundaries
EURASIAN PLATE NORTH AMERICAN PLATE ANATOLIAN PLATE JUAN DE FUCA PLATE CHINA SUBPLATE CARIBBEAN PLATE PHILIPPINE PLATE ARABIAN PLATE AFRICAN PLATE INDIA PLATE PACIFIC PLATE PACIFIC PLATE COCOS PLATE SOUTH AMERICAN PLATE NAZCA PLATE AUSTRALIAN PLATE SOMALIAN SUBPLATE Figure 14.4 The earth’s major tectonic plates. See an animation based on this figure at CengageNOW. Question: What plate are you riding on? SCOTIA PLATE ANTARCTIC PLATE Divergent plate boundaries Convergent plate boundaries Transform faults Fig. 14-4, p. 347
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The San Andreas Fault as It Crosses Part of the Carrizo Plain in California, U.S.
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Some Parts of the Earth’s Surface Build Up and Some Wear Down
Internal geologic processes Generally build up the earth’s surface External geologic processes Weathering Physical, Chemical, and Biological Erosion Wind Flowing water Human activities Glaciers
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Weathering: Biological, Chemical, and Physical Processes
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Parent material (rock)
Biological weathering (tree roots and lichens) Chemical weathering (water, acids, and gases) Physical weathering (wind, rain, thermal expansion and contraction, water freezing) Figure 14.6 Weathering: Biological, chemical, and physical processes weather or convert rock into smaller fragments and particles. It is the first step in soil formation. Particles of parent material Fig. 14-6, p. 348
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Parent material (rock)
Particles of parent material Biological weathering (tree roots and lichens) Chemical weathering (water, acids, and gases) Physical weathering (wind, rain, thermal expansion and contraction, water freezing) Figure 14.6 Weathering: Biological, chemical, and physical processes weather or convert rock into smaller fragments and particles. It is the first step in soil formation. Stepped Art Fig. 14-6, p. 348
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Volcanoes Release Molten Rock from the Earth’s Interior
Fissure Magma Lava 1980: Eruption of Mount St. Helens 1991: Eruption of Mount Pinatubo Benefits of volcanic activity
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Creation of a Volcano
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Partially molten asthenosphere
Extinct volcanoes Eruption cloud Ash Acid rain Ash flow Lava flow Mud flow Central vent Landslide Magma conduit Magma reservoir Figure 14.7 A volcano is created when magma in the partially molten asthenosphere rises in a plume through the lithosphere to erupt on the surface as lava, which builds a cone. Sometimes, internal pressure is high enough to cause lava, ash, and gases to be ejected into the atmosphere or to flow over land, causing considerable damage (Concept 14-1B). Chains of islands have been created by volcanoes that erupted and then became inactive. Solid lithosphere Upwelling magma Partially molten asthenosphere Fig. 14-7, p. 349
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Earthquakes Are Geological Rock-and-Roll Events (1)
Seismic waves Focus Epicenter Magnitude Amplitude
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Earthquakes Are Geological Rock-and-Roll Events (2)
Richter scale Insignificant: <4.0 Minor: 4.0–4.9 Damaging: 5.0–5.9 Destructive: 6.0–6.9 Major: 7.0–7.9 Great: >8.0
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Earthquakes Are Geological Rock-and-Roll Events (3)
Foreshocks and aftershocks Primary effects of earthquakes
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Major Features and Effects of an Earthquake
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Liquefaction of recent sediments causes buildings to sink
Two adjoining plates move laterally along the fault line Earth movements cause flooding in low-lying areas Landslides may occur on hilly ground Figure 14.8 Major features and effects of an earthquake, one of nature’s most powerful events. Shock waves Focus Epicenter Fig. 14-8, p. 350
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Areas of Greatest Earthquake Risk in the United States
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Highest risk Lowest risk Figure 14.9
Areas of greatest earthquake (seismic) risk in the United States. Question: What is the degree of risk where you live or go to school? (Data from U.S. Geological Survey) Lowest risk Fig. 14-9, p. 350
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Areas of Greatest Earthquake Risk in the World
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Earthquakes on the Ocean Floor Can Cause Huge Waves Called Tsunamis
Tsunami, tidal wave Detection of tsunamis December 2004: Indian Ocean tsunami Magnitude of 9.15 Role of coral reefs and mangrove forests in reducing death toll
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Formation of a Tsunami and Map of Affected Area of Dec 2004 Tsunami
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Undersea thrust fault Upward wave Bangladesh India Burma Thailand
Earthquake in seafloor swiftly pushes water upwards, and starts a series of waves Waves move rapidly in deep ocean reaching speeds of up to 890 kilometers per hour. As the waves near land they slow to about 45 kilometers per hour but are squeezed upwards and increased in height. Waves head inland causing damage in their path. Undersea thrust fault Upward wave Bangladesh India Burma Figure 14.11 Formation of a tsunami and map of area affected by a large tsunami in December 2004. Thailand Malaysia Sri Lanka Earthquake Indonesia Sumatra December 26, 2004, tsunami Fig , p. 352
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Shore near Gleebruk in Indonesia before and after the Tsunami on June 23, 2004
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Gravity and Earthquakes Can Cause Landslides
Mass wasting Slow movement Fast movement Rockslides Avalanches Mudslides Effect of human activities on such geological events
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Active Figure: Geological forces
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Active Figure: Plate margins
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14-2 How Are the Earth’s Rocks Recycled?
Concept The three major types of rocks found in the earth’s crust—sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic—are recycled very slowly by the process of erosion, melting, and metamorphism.
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There Are Three Major Types of Rocks (1)
Earth’s crust Composed of minerals and rocks Three broad classes of rocks, based on formation Sedimentary Sandstone Shale Dolomite Limestone Lignite Bituminous coal
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There Are Three Major Types of Rocks (2)
Igneous Granite Lava rock Metamorphic Anthracite Slate Marble
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The Earth’s Rocks Are Recycled Very Slowly
Rock cycle Slowest of the earth’s cyclic processes
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Natural Capital: The Rock Cycle Is the Slowest of the Earth’s Cyclic Processes
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Heat, pressure, stress Magma (molten rock)
Erosion Transportation Weathering Deposition Igneous rock Granite, pumice, basalt Sedimentary rock Sandstone, limestone Heat, pressure Cooling Heat, pressure, stress Magma (molten rock) Figure 14.13 Natural capital: the rock cycle is the slowest of the earth’s cyclic processes. Rocks are recycled over millions of years by three processes: erosion, melting, and metamorphism, which produce sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Rock from any of these classes can be converted to rock of either of the other two classes, or can be recycled within its own class (Concept 14-2). Question: What are three ways in which the rock cycle benefits your lifestyle? Melting Metamorphic rock Slate, marble, gneiss, quartzite Fig , p. 354
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14-3 What Are Mineral Resources, and what are their Environmental Effects?
Concept 14-3A Some naturally occurring materials in the earth’s crust can be extracted and made into useful products in processes that provide economic benefits and jobs. Concept 14-3B Extracting and using mineral resources can disturb the land, erode soils, produce large amounts of solid waste, and pollute the air, water, and soil.
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We Use a Variety of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
Fossil fuels Metallic minerals Nonmetallic minerals Ore High-grade ore Low-grade ore Importance and examples of nonrenewable metal and nonmetal mineral resources
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Mineral Use Has Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages of the processes of mining and converting minerals into useful products Disadvantages
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The Life Cycle of a Metal Resource
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Separation of ore from gangue Smelting Melting metal
Surface mining Metal ore Separation of ore from gangue Smelting Melting metal Conversion to product Discarding of product Figure 14.14 Life cycle of a metal resource. Each step in this process uses large amounts of energy and produces some pollution and waste. Recycling Fig , p. 355
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Separation of ore from gangue Smelting Melting metal
Surface mining Metal ore Separation of ore from gangue Smelting Melting metal Conversion to product Discarding of product Recycling Figure 14.14 Life cycle of a metal resource. Each step in this process uses large amounts of energy and produces some pollution and waste. Stepped Art Fig , p. 355
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Extracting, Processing, Using Nonrenewable Mineral and Energy Resources
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NATURAL CAPITAL DEGRADATION
Extracting, Processing, and Using Nonrenewable Mineral and Energy Resources Steps Environmental Effects Mining Disturbed land; mining accidents; health hazards; mine waste dumping; oil spills and blowouts; noise; ugliness; heat Exploration, extraction Processing Solid wastes; radioactive material; air, water, and soil pollution; noise; safety and health hazards; ugliness; heat Transportation, purification, manufacturing Figure 14.15 Some harmful environmental effects of extracting, processing, and using nonrenewable mineral and energy resources (Concept 14-3B). Providing the energy required to carry out each step causes additional pollution and environmental degradation. Question: What are three mineral resources that you used today? Which of these harmful environmental effects might have resulted from obtaining and using these resources? Use Noise; ugliness; thermal water pollution; pollution of air, water, and soil; solid and radioactive wastes; safety and health hazards; heat Transportation or transmission to individual user, eventual use, and discarding Fig , p. 356
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There Are Several Ways to Remove Mineral Deposits (1)
Surface mining Shallow deposits removed Subsurface mining Deep deposits removed Type of surface mining used depends on Resource Local topography
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There Are Several Ways to Remove Mineral Deposits (2)
Types of surface mining Open-pit mining Strip mining Contour mining Mountaintop removal
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Natural Capital Degradation: Open-Pit Mine in Western Australia
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Natural Capital Degradation: Contour Strip Mining Used in Hilly or Mountainous Region
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Undisturbed land Overburden Highwall Coal seam Overburden Pit Bench
Figure 14.17 Natural capital degradation: contour strip mining of coal used in hilly or mountainous terrain. Spoil banks Fig , p. 357
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Natural Capital Degradation: Mountaintop Coal Mining in West Virginia, U.S.
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Mining Has Harmful Environmental Effects (1)
Scarring and disruption of the land surface E.g., spoils banks Loss of rivers and streams Subsidence
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Mining Has Harmful Environmental Effects (2)
Major pollution of water and air Effect on aquatic life Large amounts of solid waste 58
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Banks of Waste or Spoils Created by Coal Area Strip Mining in Colorado, U.S.
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Illegal Gold Mine
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Ecological Restoration of a Mining Site in New Jersey, U.S.
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Removing Metals from Ores Has Harmful Environmental Effects (1)
Ore extracted by mining Ore mineral Gangue Smelting Water pollution
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Removing Meals from Ores Has Harmful Environmental Effects (2)
Liquid and solid hazardous wastes produced Use of cyanide salt of extract gold from its ore Summitville gold mine: Colorado, U.S.
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Natural Capital Degradation: Summitville Gold Mining Site in Colorado, U.S.
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14-4 How Long Will Supplies of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Last?
Concept 14-4A All nonrenewable mineral resources exist in finite amounts, and as we get closer to depleting any mineral resource, the environmental impacts of extracting it generally become more harmful. Concept 14-4B 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.
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Mineral Resources Are Distributed Unevenly (1)
Most of the nonrenewable mineral resources supplied by United States Canada Russia South Africa Australia
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Mineral Resources Are Distributed Unevenly (2)
Strategic metal resources Manganese (Mn) Cobalt (Co) Chromium (Cr) Platinum (Pt)
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Science Focus: The Nanotechnology Revolution
Nanotechnology, tiny tech Nanoparticles Are they safe? Investigate potential ecological, economic, health, and societal risks Develop guidelines for their use until more is known about them
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Supplies of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Can Be Economically Depleted
Future supply depends on Actual or potential supply of the mineral Rate at which it is used When it becomes economically depleted Recycle or reuse existing supplies Waste less Use less Find a substitute Do without
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Natural Capital Depletion: Depletion Curves for a Nonrenewable Resource
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Depletion time A Depletion time B Depletion time C
Mine, use, throw away; no new discoveries; rising prices A Recycle; increase reserves by improved mining technology, higher prices, and new discoveries B Production Recycle, reuse, reduce consumption; increase reserves by improved mining technology, higher prices, and new discoveries C Figure 14.23 Natural capital depletion: depletion curves for a nonrenewable resource (such as aluminum or copper) using three sets of assumptions. Dashed vertical lines represent times when 80% depletion occurs. Present Depletion time A Depletion time B Depletion time C Time Fig , p. 361
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Depletion time A Depletion time B Depletion time C
Mine, use, throw away; no new discoveries; rising prices Depletion time A Recycle; increase reserves by improved mining technology, higher prices, and new discoveries B Depletion time B Production Recycle, reuse, reduce consumption; increase reserves by improved mining technology, higher prices, and new discoveries C Depletion time C Figure 14.23 Natural capital depletion: depletion curves for a nonrenewable resource (such as aluminum or copper) using three sets of assumptions. Dashed vertical lines represent times when 80% depletion occurs. Present Time Stepped Art Fig , p. 361
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Market Prices Affect Supplies of Nonrenewable Minerals
Subsidies and tax breaks to mining companies keep mineral prices artificially low Does this promote economic growth and national security? Scarce investment capital hinders the development of new supplies of mineral resources
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Case Study: The U.S. General Mining Law of 1872
Encouraged mineral exploration and mining of hard-rock minerals on U.S. public lands Developed to encourage settling the West (1800s) Until 1995, land could be bought for 1872 prices Companies must pay for clean-up now
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Is Mining Lower-Grade Ores the Answer?
Factors that limit the mining of lower-grade ores Increased cost of mining and processing larger volumes of ore Availability of freshwater Environmental impact Improve mining technology Use microorganisms, in situ Slow process What about genetic engineering of the microbes?
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Can We Extend Supplies by Getting More Minerals from the Ocean? (1)
Mineral resources dissolved in the ocean-low concentrations Deposits of minerals in sediments along the shallow continental shelf and near shorelines
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Can We Extend Supplies by Getting More Minerals from the Ocean? (2)
Hydrothermal ore deposits Metals from the ocean floor: manganese nodules Effect of mining on aquatic life Environmental impact
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14-5 How Can We Use Mineral Resources More Sustainability?
Concept We can try to find substitutes for scarce resources, reduce resource waste, and recycle and reuse minerals.
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We Can Find Substitutes for Some Scarce Mineral Resources (1)
Materials revolution Nanotechnology Silicon High-strength plastics Drawbacks?
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We Can Find Substitutes for Some Scarce Mineral Resources (2)
Substitution is not a cure-all Pt: industrial catalyst Cr: essential ingredient of stainless steel
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We Can Recycle and Reuse Valuable Metals
Recycling Lower environmental impact than mining and processing metals from ores Reuse
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There Are Many Ways to Use Mineral Resources More Sustainability
How can we decrease our use and waste of mineral resources? Pollution and waste prevention programs Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) Cleaner production
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Solutions: Sustainable Use of Nonrenewable Minerals
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Case Study: Industrial Ecosystems: Copying Nature
Mimic nature: recycle and reuse most minerals and chemicals Resource exchange webs Ecoindustrial parks Industrial forms of biomimicry Benefits
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Solutions: An Industrial Ecosystem in Denmark Mimics Natural Food Web
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Surplus natural gas Electric power plant
Sludge Pharmaceutical plant Local farmers Sludge Greenhouses Waste heat Waste heat Waste heat Fish farming Waste heat Surplus natural gas Electric power plant Oil refinery Fly ash Surplus sulfur Waste calcium sulfate Figure 14.25 Solutions: an industrial ecosystem in Kalundborg, Denmark, reduces waste production by mimicking a food web in natural ecosystems. The wastes of one business become the raw materials for another. Question: Is there an industrial ecosystem near where you live or go to school? If not, think about where and how such a system could be set up. Surplus natural gas Waste heat Cement manufacturer Sulfuric acid producer Wallboard factory Area homes Fig , p. 367
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