1. Chapter 16 Minerals: A Non-renewable Resource

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

3. Introduction to Minerals
Human History – need and desire
Rocks
Naturally formed aggregates of minerals
Metallic vs. nonmetallic (next slide  examples)
Examples of Minerals
Concrete (mixture of
sand, gravel and
limestone)

4. Introduction to Minerals
Examples of Minerals
Table salt (________________)
Copper (___________)

5. Mineral Distribution and Formation
Abundant minerals in crust
Aluminum and iron
Scarce minerals in crust
Copper, chromium, and molybdenum
Distributed _________________ across globe
If found in low abundance, mining is not _____________

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

7. How Minerals are Found, Extracted, and Processed
4 step process:
Locate mineral deposit
Mine extracts of mineral from ground
Process mineral- refining it by concentrating it and removing impurities
Convert purified mineral to make product

8. Discovering Mineral Deposits
Scientists (geologists) use a variety of instruments and measurements
Aircraft and satellite instruments that measure Earth’s magnetic field
Combine this with ________________________ of how minerals are formed

9. Extracting Minerals ______________________ Mining Comparison…
Mineral and energy resources are extracted near Earth’s surface by removing soil, subsoil and over-lying rock strata
More common because _____________________________
Two kinds: open pit (next slide) and strip mining
Mineral and energy resources are extracted from _______ _________________________ deposits
Two kinds: shaft mine and slope mine
Comparison…

10. Extracting Minerals- Open Pit Surface Mining

11. Processing Minerals
Smelting- process in which __________ is melted at high temps to separate impurities from the molten metal
Possible problem- the vent for exhaust gases is near top of the iron smelter

12. Environmental Impacts of Minerals
Prone to erosion
Must pump water out of mine to keep it dry
Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dissolved lead, arsenic or cadmium wash out of mines into nearby waterway
Historically, the environmental cost has not been incorporated into the actual price of mineral products to consumers
Developing vs. developed countries

13. Environmental Impacts of Refining Minerals

14. Environmental Impacts of Refining Minerals
80% or more of mined ore consists of impurities- called _____________
Contain _______ materials
Smelting plants emit large amounts of air pollutants
Also liquid and solid waste
Requires a lot of _________________ (fossil fuels combustion)

15. Mining and the Environment
Prone to _____________________
Wind erosion causes air pollution
Water erosion pollutes nearby waterways and damages aquatic habitats
Open-pit mining of gold and other minerals uses __________________________________ of water
Lowers water table
Water quality decreases as water become contaminated
Has adverse effects on the numbers and kinds of aquatic life
Toxic pulses
Cost Benefit Analysis?

16. Case-In-Point Copper Basin, TN
Copper Basin progressed from lush forests to a panorama of red, barren hills baking in sun
How did this happen???
Mid19th century, copper ore discovered
Deforestation and acid precipitation caused the ecological ruin of area in a few years
2001 agreement - goal is to have the entire area under plant cover early in 21st century
Return of the forest ecosystem will take at least a century or two

17. Restoration of Mining Lands
Goals:
__________________________ lands- lands that have been degraded by mining; restoration involves:
Filling in and grading the derelict land to its natural contours
Plant vegetation to hold soil
Main issue- lack of funding
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977)- requires reclamation of areas that were surface mined for coal
No federal law

18. Restoration of Mining Land
Creative Approaches
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
Increases the pH of mine drainage as bacteria consume the manure
Use of specific plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials in soil
Great potential

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

20. North American Consumption of Selected Metals
Most developed countries had rich resource bases  enable them to become ___________________________
Now depleted
Large difference in the consumption of minerals between highly developed and developing countries
US and Canada- have about 5.1% of population, consume about 25% of many of world’s metals
China
Industrialization increases the demand for minerals

21. Distribution vs. Consumption
Chromium:
Chromium is used for…
No _________________________ for chromium in many of its important applications, including jet engine parts
Industrialized nations that lack significant chromium deposits must import essentially all of their chromium
Many countries have ___________________________ important minerals to reduce dependence on potentially unstable suppliers
US- stockpiles of strategic minerals- titanium, tin, manganese, chromium, platinum, cobalt 

22. Will We Run Out of Important Metals?
Mineral Reserves-
Mineral Resources-
Any undiscovered mineral deposits or known deposits of low grade ore that are currently unprofitable to extract
The combination of mineral’s reserves and resources is its total resources

23. Will We Run Out of Important Minerals?
Estimates of mineral reserves and resources fluctuate with economic, technological and political changes
Very _________________ to forecast future mineral supplies
Experts think mineral supplies will be ________________________ during 21st century
Some minerals (mercury, tungsten, tin) may become increasingly scarce during this time
Experts also think prices of even relatively plentiful minerals (Fe, Al) will ________________________

24. Increasing Supply of Minerals – Locating and Mining New Deposits
Many known mineral deposits have not yet been exploited
Ex: Malaria ridden forests of Indonesia
Ex: polar regions
Ex: 10km or deeper

25. Increasing Supply of Minerals – Minerals in Antarctica
No _______________________ mineral deposits identified to date
Geologists feel they will be discovered in near future
No one owns Antarctica
Antarctica Treaty (1961)
Limits activity to ______________ uses (i.e. scientific studies)
Madrid Protocol (1990)
______________________________ on mineral exploration and development for minimum of 50 years
Is concern founded?

26. Increasing Supply of Minerals- Minerals from the Ocean
May provide us with future supplies
Extracting minerals from seawater
Mining seafloor- Manganese nodules (below)
Problems?
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

27. Advance Mining and Processing Technologies
Special techniques to make use of large, low-grade mineral deposits world-wide
Currently requires a lot of _____________________
Even with other technologies, limiting factors may include:
________________________________
Using microorganisms to extract minerals from low-grade ores

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

29. Mineral Conservation
Includes ___________________________________ of existing mineral supplies
Reuse- using items over and over again
Reduces both mineral consumption and pollution
Recycling- converting item into new product
Common practice throughout industrialized world
Reduces land destruction from mining
Decreases energy consumption and pollution

30. Changing Our Mineral Requirements
Must change out “_______________________” mentality
Damaged or unneeded articles are thrown away
_______________________________- the decrease in weight of products over time
Quality decline?

31. Mineral Flow in an Industrial Society