1. How Humans Impact the Lithosphere
NCES Standard 2.2
Created Fall 2012

2. Urbanization
Destroying natural areas can reduce the beauty of an area and have a potential economic impact.
Rapid development can result in very high levels of erosion and sedimentation in river channels.
Pollution of soils is possible by leaking gas tanks and other chemicals.

3. Deforestation
Cutting down all the trees in an area loosens the soil and makes it very easy for extreme erosion to occur.
One solution is replanting and a system of harvesting that thins out the area.

5. Landfills
In Wake County, solid household wastes that cannot be recycled are buried in landfills.
If there are hazardous chemicals that leak or heavy metals, it is possible that the soil can be contaminated even though the landfill is lined.

6. Agriculture Agriculture takes space.
Use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers can contaminate soil and affect soil fertility.
Organic fertilizers are better.
Planting the same crop over and over can strip vital minerals out of the soil.
Crop rotation can help.

7. Overgrazing
Overgrazing is the removal of excessive amounts of plant growth by animals in one area. This accelerates erosion and strips away topsoil, resulting in no plants able to grow.
Rotate animals among pastures.
Overgrazing by sheep in Patagonia, Chile has lead to major erosion.

8. Mining
People require minerals to live, but people also have wants that require minerals.
Underground mining requires digging out large areas, increasing the risk for sinkholes and cave ins.
Strip mining destroys the environment.
Mine operators are required to perform reclamation after finishing with the mining site. This means they must put the land back together and restore it to its original condition.

14. Harvesting Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation. Eventually, peat can turn into coal.
Peat can be burned for fuel.
Advantages
low sulphur content
minimal mercury content
low ash content energy
values equivalent to coal less expensive than oil and natural gas and price competitive with other biofuels
minor engineering retrofit needed when substituted for, or blended with, coal
Since peat forms nearer to the surface, it requires less digging.

15. Drilling for Oil and Natural Gas
Oil and Natural Gas are nonrenewable resources that will eventually run out.
Drilling can cause the lithosphere to be disturbed. It can cause earthquakes.
Soil and groundwater can be contaminated.
Fracking: a process where pressurized chemicals and water are injected into the ground enabling access to natural gas.
Fracking is a hot political topic because it probably contaminates groundwater.

17. Human Activity and Shorelines
NC is well known for its beaches and Outer Banks. As more and more people retire, there is more development on our coast.
Removal of vegetation at the coast can cause serious erosion. The plants help hold the sand in place.
Man made erosion control, like sandbags, can make erosion worse downshore.
Erosion causes houses to be condemned and potentially fall into the ocean.

18. The area around the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse experienced extreme erosion, so it was moved about a ½ mile inland.
This house is on our coast and was used in the Nicholas Sparks’ movie “Nights in Rodanthe”. Notice how the water is coming up under the house and it is in danger of falling in the sea.

19. Human Activities and Mountainsides
Blasting away rock to build roads
Erosion by building houses and other buildings
Remove tops of mountains for mining
Logging forests