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My Environmental Science Paper 1 > Mineral Resources (gaps) > Flashcards

Mineral Resources (gaps) Flashcards

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1
Q

Define mineral

A

A solid, naturally occurring inorganic substance

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2
Q

Define resource

A

Any physical material constituting part of Earth that people need and value.

Valuable material that we can extract, but may not be profitable.

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3
Q

Metals and minerals in a mobile phone:

A
  • diamond - electrodes in batteries
  • silicon - microchips
  • salt - magnesium - casing
  • mercury - touch screen
  • nickel - electronic wiring
  • borksite - LED backlight
  • copper - electrical wiring
  • tungsten - speakers and microphone
  • lithium batteries
  • arsenic microchips
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4
Q

Describe the rock cycle

A
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5
Q

Define sedimentary

A

Rock that has formed from sediment

Formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral and organic particles

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6
Q

What are the 5 sedimentary processes?

A
  1. Evaporites
  2. Alluvial deposits
  3. Proterozoic marine sediments
  4. Secondary enrichment
  5. Biological deposits
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7
Q

Describe Proterozoic marine sediments

A
  • 1.8 to 2.5 billion years ago in the ocean (occurred in early Proterozoic era)
  • Photo-synthesisers increase oxygen in the atmosphere and ocean
  • metals (such as Fe) come out of solution when oxidised - solids sink and deposit
  • large deposits of valuable metals in sedimentary rock formed on the ocean floor
  • rocks such as haemetite are rich in Fe
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8
Q

Describe how alluvial deposits (flow separation) can separate and concentrate valuable metals and minerals

A
  • transferred by water
  • different minerals deposited at different velocities
  • denser drop first
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9
Q

Explain the process of secondary enrichment

A
  • Rock exposed at the surface
  • some metals oxidise (exposed to oxygen)
  • go into solution
  • solution infiltrates and percolates into ground
  • when water (solution) reaches water table, conditions are now anaerobic and metals come out of solution (become concentrated in one place).
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10
Q

Describe how evaporites form

A
  • Deposits that occur due to the evaporation of water
  • most common are salt (hyaline) deposits
  • bodies of water that are land locked
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11
Q

Explain how biological deposits can form sedimentary rocks, give 2 examples

A
  • remains of living organisms
  • limestone (calcite shells CaCO3) - used in cement and concrete
  • coal (anaerobic decay of plants and and swamp deposits)
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12
Q

Define igneous

A

A rock having solidified from lava or magma

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13
Q

Explain how granite batholiths are formed

A
  • Intrusion of magma into the crust
  • large volume of magma (100s of km across) cools below the surface
  • most batholiths are granite
  • when it cools it becomes granite
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14
Q

Explain how Hydrothermal Metal Ores are deposited

A
  • magma (batholith) rise through/into crust
  • the surrounding rocks become super heated
  • ground water superheated
  • metals go into solution in hot water
  • water (+metals in solution) move away from the batholiths along cracks and fissures
  • water cools and metals come out of solution
  • fractional crystallisation caused by metals coming out of solution at different points
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15
Q

Define metamorphic

A

A rock that has undergone transformation through heat or pressure

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16
Q

Explain how slate is formed

A
  • formed from shale (sedimentary rock made from silt and mud)
  • shale fractures easily
  • recrystallises to from slate under heat and pressure
  • slate is now impermeable and used for roofing
  • slate is more valuable and splits easily into layers
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17
Q

Explain how Marble is formed

A
  • Metamorphism (heat and pressure) of limestone = marble
  • if subject to enough heat and pressure, all of its constituent parts will recrystallise
  • marble is harder than limestone
  • it’s rarer, impermeable and attractive
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18
Q

Define reserve

A

Natural resources that have been discovered and can be exploited profitably (with existing technology).

Valuable material that we can extract profitably.

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19
Q

Define stock

A

All the valuable material that we know exists (may not be able to get).

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20
Q

Explain the difference between a resource and a reserve

A

Resource is the amount of valuable material we can extract but unlike a reserve, it may not be profitable.

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21
Q

How might a reserve increase?

A

Material value goes up (easier to gain profit)

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22
Q

How might reserves decrease?

A

Material value decreases (less likely to gain a profit)

23
Q

What is an inferred reserve?

A

Valuable material that is predicted to be present due to other indicators (eg folds, batholiths, etc)

24
Q

What is a probable reserve?

A

Sufficient knowledge of the reserve is known so a good idea of its economic viability

25
Q

What is a proven reserve?

A

Reserves that are known to be present and have undergone trial drilling.

26
Q

What is Lasky’s Principle?

A

States that where the purity of a mineral decreases, the amount of mineral present in the Earth increases exponentially.

27
Q

Define ‘cut off ore grade’

A

Purity level that determines whether extraction occurs

the minimum grade required in order for a mineral or metal to be economically mined (or processed)

28
Q

Why might cut off ore grade change over time or from place to place?

A
  • cost of extraction
  • demand
29
Q

Why do we need to survey before exaction of minerals begins?

A
30
Q

How can we extend the time period that existing reserves can be exploited?

A

Reusing and recycling

31
Q

Increased exploration: what resources might be in Antarctica?

A

Oil, gas, coal and freshwater

32
Q

Increased exploration: what resources might be in the Artic (Greenland and Alaska)

A

Coal, iron, zinc, lead, nickel, oil and gas
Bauxite - alloy

33
Q

Increased exploration: what resources might be in the Deep Ocean floor

A

Sulphur, silver, gold, copper, nickel, cobalt, diamonds, gas and oil.

34
Q

Improved exploratory techniques: improved remote sensing (description and benefit)

A
  • improved surveying technics from satellites
  • remote - without having to be close, can measure infrared wavelength (infrared spectroscopy)
  • high resolution
35
Q

Improved exploratory techniques: portable field equipment (description and benefit)

A

Equipment has become smaller, lighter and more portable - enabled to widen range of places it can be used more easily.

36
Q

Improved mechanisation: improved mechanised techniques in deep mining (description and benefit)

A

Improvement in equipment - in particular drilling equipment to withstand high temperatures

37
Q

Improved mechanisation: improved mechanised techniques in open-cast mining (description and benefit)

A
  • Surface mining means less labour
  • increase in technology
  • increase in size of machinery and vehicles eg Bucket excavators
38
Q

Improved exploration of low grade ores: bioleaching

A
  • Bacteria are mixed with a low grade ore
  • bacteria via a chemical reaction creates leachate
  • metal is now in solution
  • leachate contains metal compounds
39
Q

Improved exploration of low grade ores: phytomining

A
  • plants extract metals out of soil and then burned
  • this collects the metal at a higher concentration
  • plants are grown, absorb and concentrate metal in tissue
40
Q

Improved exploration of low grade ores: iron displacement

A
  • iron is used to displace oxygen and leave copper pure
  • iron is more reactive than many other metals including copper
41
Q

Improved exploration of low grade ores: leachate collection

A
  • Rain water may percolate though spoil heaps
  • can collect leachate coming out of spoil heap
  • this contains metals that we want
  • can collect this using electrolysis
42
Q

Improved exploration of low grade ores: polymer adsorption

A
  • use a polymer to attract a valuable metal that is in solution
  • may use polymers to extract uranium from sea water in the future
43
Q

What is a deep sea polymetallic nodule?

A
  • Commonly known as manganese nodule
  • about the size of a jacket potato
  • found on the deep ocean floor
  • rich in many metals, in particular manganese eg also contain iron, nickel, copper, cobalt and titanium
44
Q

How did deep sea polymetallic nodules form?

A
  • around a piece of organic matter ?.???.??
45
Q

How can we extract deep sea polymetallic nodules?

A
  • shipping equipment
  • vehicle that can pump nodules to ship (on sea floor)
    A problem is the distance from the floor to the ship
46
Q

What minerals or metals are present in deep sea polymetallic nodules and what could we use them for?

A

Cobalt - iron alloys
Copper - electric wiring
Iron - infrastructure
Manganese - steel alloy

47
Q

What could be the environmental impacts of deep sea mining?

A
  • habitat destruction
  • direct harm of organisms
  • increased water turbidity
  • pollution eg green house gases
48
Q

What can be recycled using local authority kerbside collection?

A

-Plastics (hard)
- glass
- cans (aluminium/steel)
- paper/cardboard
- green waste

49
Q

What else can be recycled at local recycling sites, through supermarkets, through private waste collectors and reprocessors?

A
  • Batteries
  • oil
  • electrical equipment
  • vehicles
  • building material
  • PVC
  • furniture
50
Q

What are the advantages of recycling?

A
  • Less requirement for extraction of new materials
  • less impact from mining
  • less energy intensive
  • less waste in landfill
51
Q

What are the disadvantages of recycling?

A
  • public cooperation can be difficult to maintain
  • not always economically viable - costs of transport/sorting/recycling
  • space taken up by bins/storage space
  • aesthetics/smells
  • identification/sorting of waste when mixed
52
Q

Explain what is meant by the term cradle to cradle design and how this benefits both environment and industry?

A
  • (new to new) should be applied to the manufacture of all products
  • all parts of a product should be easy to deconstruct and identify to be recycled
  • minimise (use less materials/energy)
  • all materials in a continuous cycle
  • use renewable energy only
  • celebrate diversity
53
Q

What minerals are thought to be available in Antarctica?

A
  • iron, coal and petroleum
  • possibly copper, chromium, gold, diamonds, tin, uranium and zinc
54
Q

What biological resources are thought to be available in Antarctica?

A

Cod and Krill
(Past - seals and whales)

My Environmental Science Paper 1 (31 decks)

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