1. Earth’s Resources
By Sturdivant

2. Resources
Most things we use come from raw materials – specifically, mineral and energy resources
Mineral resources produce things – computers, basketballs, forks, cars
Energy resources produce energy – warmth in your home, fuel for your car, charge for your phone

3. Renewable vs. Nonrenewable
Renewable resources can be replenished over a fairly short time span
Nonrenewable resources may take up to millions of years to replenish
DEBATE – are trees a renewable resource?

4. Renewable Resources
Renewable resources are “renewable” depending on how effectively they can be produced over time
Renewability could be over months, years, or even decades
Examples – material: plants and animals for food, fibers for clothing, trees for lumber. energy: flowing water, wind, solar, tidal energy

5. Nonrenewable Resources
Please forward this slide to the federal government
Many of our fuels are nonrenewable – coal, oil, and natural gas take millions of years to produce.
Rare minerals such as copper, uranium, and gold do not replenish at any discernable rate

6. Energy Needs in the US
As of 2009, 6% of the world’s population lived in the US. However, the US uses 30% of the world’s mineral and energy resources
90% of US energy needs come from fossil fuels. We plan to lower this to 80% by 2040 (we should really be doing much better than this, though)
So, what IS a fossil fuel

7. Fossil Fuels Simply – coal, oil, and natural gas
Coal comes from decaying plant matter. Begins as peat, compacts to lignite (“brown coal”) then to bituminous coal (“soft coal”) and then to anthracite (a metamorphic rock)
Most coal is used to produce electricity
Coal is high in sulfur, which burns to produce sulfur oxides, which turns into sulfuric acid (acid rain)
Ask your president about “clean coal” because I don’t know what that means

8. Coal Resources in the US

9. Petroleum and Natural Gas
As decaying plant and animal matter is buried on a sea floor, the sediment protects the matter from decay
Over time this matter transforms into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons (like oil/petroleum and natural gas)
These hydrocarbons migrate into porous rock, rising above water within the rock due to their low densities

10. Oil Shale
Because shale most often forms in marine environments, it is also commonly associated with hydrocarbon production
The Green River Formation in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming contains half the oil shale of the world
Shale (as you’ve seen) is not very porous. That is why you see so many fracking wells as you drive through Colorado

11. Green River Oil Shale

12. Mineral Deposits
Mineral resources – deposits of useful minerals that can be extracted. Even deposits that are not necessarily recoverable with modern technology, are still considered a valuable resource
Ore – metallic mineral that can be profitably mined
Copper for example makes up % of Earth. For a copper deposit to be an ore, it needs a concentration closer to 1% copper

13. Mineral Deposits through Rock Cycle
Valuable mineral resources are often associated with the processes of the rock cycle
Especially within the igneous process, we see deposits of important metallic minerals
Bingham Canyon in Utah has yielded 1.2 million tons of copper
The Bushveld Complex in South Africa contains 70% of the world’s platinum

14. Copper Deposits in Utah

15. Platinum Deposits in South Africa

16. Mineral Deposits otherwise
Hydrothermal solutions create ore deposits
This is also associated with the igneous process
Hot water with dissolved minerals leaves magma rich areas and cools, leaving behind metallic minerals

17. Hydrothermal Minerals

18. Nonmetallic Mineral Resources
Processed either for the elements they contain or their physical/chemical properties
These resources are split into building materials and industrial materials
Building materials are resources such as gravel for construction
Industrial materials are minerals such as graphite used for pencil lead

19. Alternate Energy Sources
At current rates of consumption, fossil fuels will last 170 years or less
In addition to its limited survivability, fossil fuel use has proven hazardous to the environment in terms of both pollution and atmospheric warming
Because of this, we MUST find other ways to meet our energy demand

20. Alternate Energy Sources
Solar Energy
Nuclear Energy
Wind Energy
Hydroelectric Power
Geothermal Energy
Tidal Power

21. Solar Energy Most abundant energy resource on Earth
We receive 10,000x our energy needs in the form of energy from the Sun every year
Advantages: the fuel is “free” (only costs the Sun’s hydrogen) and it is nonpolluting
Disadvantages: difficult to store and obtain the energy efficiently. Technology needs to advance

22. Solar Energy

23. Nuclear Energy Gives US about 7% of its energy
Radioactive elements are split into smaller nuclei which release energy
Advantages: technology is well developed, no polluting by-products, highly efficient process
Disadvantages: the fuel is not free. Requires radioactive materials. Societal conception skewed since Chernobyl in 1986

24. Wind Energy
If all wind from the Dakotas could be harnessed, it would cover the country’s energy needs
Well developed energy source. It is not new energy. Example: sailboats
Advantages: the fuel is free, albeit inconsistent. Easy to harness the energy
Disadvantages: turbines are HUGE. Difficult to install. Noise pollution, visually unappealing to some

25. Wind Energy

26. Hydroelectric Power
Old technology that’s been utilized since waterwheels
The energy is simple, utilizing water’s weight to create electrical power
Advantages: obtains free energy from gravity.
Disadvantages: using dams for energy will drastically affect ecology and dynamics of river system (example – Glen Canyon Dam, Colorado River)

27. Geothermal Energy
Energy harnessed from underground sources of steam and/or hot water
This steam can be used to turn turbines and create electrical power
Advantages: very little environmental impact, heat source is already there
Disadvantages: the steam reservoir will not last forever, energy levels are not huge, can only obtain energy where volcanic activity is present

28. Geothermal Energy

29. Tidal Power
Tidal power has been used for hundreds of years (helped produce energy for a flour mill in Boston)
The energy is utilized with a dam where tides will flow in and out
Advantages: obtains free energy from gravity, higher seas due to sea ice melt may increase tidal energy capacity
Disadvantages: only worthwhile where tides go back and forth at least 8 meters, and where the bay isn’t too narrow

30. Tidal Power