Earth's Resources Flashcards
Aquifier
porous rock strata containing water
Bauxite
aluminium ore
Bioleaching
a method of extracting copper from low-grade ore involving bacteria that break the copper sulphate bonds, separating the copper and sulphate atom by atom
Chalcopyrite
a low-grade copper ore, 0.27% copper
Chlorination
where chlorine is added to kill bacteria
Coagulants
bind contaminants together to remove them
Coarse Filtering
removes more small items from water
Desalination
where sodium chloride is removed from water to get potable water
Displacement
method of extracting copper where malachite is reacted with sulphuric acid to produce copper sulphate, when copper is then extracted from the copper sulphate by displacement with scrap iron
Effluent
liquid waste
Eutrophication
where fertilisers that have been used for agricultural uses runs off into the rivers or sea, increasing the amount of algae, meaning algae covers the surface of the water and prevents oxygen or sunlight getting to other organisms in the water
Filtration
where smaller objects are removed by sand
Fine Filtering
removes very small items from water
Finite Resources
resources such as coal, oil, natural gas and metals that will one day run out as they are being used quicker than they can be created
Flouride
added to water to help strengthen teeth