Mineral resources Flashcards
What is a Cut-off grade?
The minimum percentage grade that is economic to mine
What is Grade?
The percentage of metal content in an ore
What is Metal ore?
A mineral that contains a compound of metal
What are gangue minerals?
Minerals that have no commercial value
What is Stock?
The amount of mineral in the entire lithosphere
What are Resources?
Materials found in the earth that people need and value
What are Reserves?
The amount of mineral that is economically viable to extract
What is fractional crystallization?
the crystallization and removal of different minerals from the cooling magma
What are metamorphic rocks?
Rocks that undergo a physical change due to extreme heat and pressure
What is Batholith?
A mass of rock formed when a large body of magma cools inside the crust
What is Leachate?
Water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents.
What is the Lithosphere?
A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust.
What is Turbidity?
A measure of how clear water is.
What is oxidation?
changes metal sulphide ores into sulphate ores
What is reduction?
changes metal sulphate ores back into sulphide ores
What is the water table?
The upper level of the saturated zone of groundwater
What are Evaporites?
A natural salt or mineral deposit left after the evaporation of a body of water.
What are Proterozoic marine sediments?
These include the iron oxide deposits produced by the reaction of dissolved iron minerals with the oxygen produced by photosynthesis.
What are Biological sediments?
Chalk, limestone, coal, oil
What are metamorphic rocks?
Made when heat, pressure, or fluids change one type of rock into another type of rock
What is Phyto mining?
Growing and/or harvesting plants and trees that grow in mineral rich areas then burning them and collecting the minerals from the ash
What is bioleaching?
Uses microorganisms and chemicals to extract minerals.
What is a Magnetometer?
Used to carry out magnetic surveys
What is a Gravimeter?
Used to carry out gravity surveys
What is a Positive gravity anomaly?
Normally caused by dense intrusions
What is an Acidophil?
Bacteria which grow in acidic environments
What is IR spectroscopy?
Different minerals emit infrared radiation at different wavelengths and these can be used to identify them
What is Magnetometry?
Measures variability in the magnetic field beneath the ground surface to locate magnetic anomalies.
What are manganese nodules?
A small rock that contains manganese and other minerals, found on the ocean floor
What is Electrolysis?
The process in which an electric current is used to produce a chemical reaction, which will separate a metal from solution
What do bioleaching bacteria do?
Oxidise the sulphide ores, making them soluble
What will Improved extraction techniques help with?
can lower the Cut-Off Grade of an ore
Why is machine mining useful?
Reduces the need for humans, can be done in deep or inaccessible locations
What is gravimetry?
A gravimeter that detects variations in gravity caused by density and mass
How can you control water turbidity waste?
Create sedimentation lagoons
