Chapter 7 Resources Flashcards
Fossil fuel
Substance such as coal, oil and natural, that has formed from th remains of ancient organisms.
Open-cut mining
A method of mining mineral ores that are close to the surface - a large hole is made to expose the rocks, which are the broken up using explosives.
Mineral ore
A substance that contains minerals of values, that can be obtained by mining.
Black coal
A harder drier form of coal than brown coal, formed from peat compressed over millions of years, with most of the moisture driven out by the weight and heat of the layers above.
Brown coal
A form of coal formed from peat compressed over millions of years.
Gangue
Leftover waste rock and mineral material. It is produced during the processes that extract mineral ores.
Deposition
The laying down of weathered rock particles and soil by river, wind, oceans and glaciers.
Desalination
The conversion of sea water to fresh.
Weathering
The process of breaking down rocks by conditions in the atmosphere.
Erosion
The process of moving weathering rock or soil from one place to another.
Biomass
Material produced by living organisms.
Mining
The process of removing mineral ore from the ground.
Deforestation
The removal of trees from the land.
