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GEO1005 > Minerals and mining > Flashcards

Minerals and mining Flashcards

1
Q

Where do active margins occur?

A

Where two plates slide towards each other forming either a subduction zone or a continental collision

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2
Q

What are deep marine trenches typically associated with?

A

Subduction zones

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3
Q

Why is volcanism linked to subduction zones?

A

Because of the friction and heat from the subducting slab

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4
Q

List the 8 processes in the rock cycle

A 
Weathering produces sediment
Sediment transport
Sediment deposition
Burial and lithification
Heat and pressure
More heating and melting
Cooling and crystalization
Uplift and mountain building
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5
Q

Explain the weathering produces sediment stage

A

Exposure to the elements and mass wasting degrades rock to sediment

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6
Q

Explain the sediment transport process?

A

This is done by wind, water and waves for example

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7
Q

Explain the sediment deposition process

A

In floodplains, lakes, alluvial fans, beacjes and the oceans. Also chemical precipitation and accumulation of dead plant and animal material

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8
Q

Explain the burial and lithication proccess

A

Increased pressure and cemntation transforms sediment to rock

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9
Q

Explain the heat and pressure stage

A

When the depth of burial exceeds 10km and temperatures are over 300 C minerals in the rock recrystalize to more stable forms (without melting)

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10
Q

Explain the more heat and melting process

A

From partial melting of the upper mantle, partial melting at the top of a subducting plate, rising convection currents in the mantle or mantle plumes. Heat melts the rocks to form magma

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11
Q

Explain the cooling and crystalisation process

A

If magma cools slowly deep within the Earth it forms plutonic rock.
If magma comes to the surface and cools rapidly it forms volcanic rock

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12
Q

Explain the uplift and mountain building process

A

Deformation of crust (lengthening and shortening) caused by movement of plates exposes rocks at the surface of the earth

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13
Q

How are sedimentary rocks made?

A

From burial and lithification

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14
Q

How are metamorphic rocks made?

A

From heat and pressure

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15
Q

How are igneous rocks made?

A

From more heat which causes them to melt and then recrystalise

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16
Q

Where can chalks and cherts be found?

A

On the deep ocean floor

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17
Q

Where can muds be found?

A

On the continental rise

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18
Q

Where can sands and muds be found?

A

On the continental shelf and slope

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19
Q

Where can peats and muds be found?

A

Peat in swamps

Mud on floodplains

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20
Q

Where can sands be found?

A

In river channels

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21
Q

Where can gravels be found?

A

In fans and channels

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22
Q

What are mineral locations often related to?

A

Active tectonic zones and tectonic zones that were active in the past

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23
Q

What has economical importance?

A

The trade of minerals

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24
Q

Explain what has happened in terms of mineral rushes?

A

There used to be a gold rush and other mineral rushes in the past.
There are still mineral rushes today but in different ways

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25
Q

Define mineral

A

Naturally occurring, inorganic substances that possess a definite chemical composition and characteristic atomic structure

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26
Q

What sort of structure do most minerals have?

A

A crystalline structure

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27
Q

Define rocks

A

Minerals are combined into rocks so they are an assemblage of minerals in the solid state

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28
Q

What are the three types of rock?

A

Metamorphic
Sedimentary
Igneous

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29
Q

What types of rock only contain one mineral?

A

Limestone and quartzite

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30
Q

What is granite a mixture of?

A

Mica, feldspar and quartz crystals

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31
Q

What is a mineral?

A

An element or inorganic compound that occurs naturally in the earth’s crust as a solid with a regular internal crystalline structure

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32
Q

Name 3 minerals that only contain one element

A

Gold
Silver
Diamond

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33
Q

How many minerals are there?

A

Over 2000

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34
Q

What is salt?

A

A mineral made of sodium chloride

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35
Q

What is quartzite?

A

Silicon dioxide

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36
Q

How can the reserve size be calculated?

A

Using maths

37
Q

What used to be thought about reserves?

A

They were thought to be huge

38
Q

What issues are there with open cast mining?

A

Environmental issues

39
Q

What has changed since mining began?

A

There have been changes in the way we mine, we used to send people down

40
Q

Where does open cast mining take place?

A

Below the water table

41
Q

what is an issue with open cast mining?

A

Groundwater can become toxic

42
Q

What happens to some areas after mining?

A

They are re-landscaped

43
Q

What are the 4 ways in which mineral resources can be categorized?

A

Identified
Undiscovered
Reserves
Other

44
Q

What is meant by identified?

A

Known location, quantity and quality or existence based on direct evidence and measurements

45
Q

What is meant by undiscovered?

A

Potential supplies that are assumed to exist

46
Q

What is meant by reserves?

A

Identifies resources that can be extracted profitably

47
Q

What is meant by other?

A

Undiscovered or unidentified resources not classified as reserves

48
Q

What needs to be considered before mineral extraction?

A

Costs
Safety factors
Levels of environmental harm

49
Q

What is surface mining?

A

Shallow deposits are removed

50
Q

What is subsurface mining?

A

Deep deposits are removed

51
Q

What are 3 issues with subsurface mining?

A

Leaves some resource behind
More dangerous
Expensive

52
Q

What is an advantage of subsurface mining?

A

It impacts less terrain

53
Q

What happens in open cast mining?

A

Holes are dug and ores, sand, gravel and stone are removed

54
Q

How does area strip mining take place?

A

Earth movers strip away overburden, and giant shovels remove mineral deposit.

55
Q

What are spoil banks?

A

Highly erodible hills of rubble

56
Q

What type of mining creates spoil banks?

A

Area strip mining

Contour strip mining

57
Q

Where does area strip mining usually take place?

A

Usually on hilly or mountainous terrain

58
Q

What is left behind if the land is not restored in area strip mining?

A

A wall of dirt is left in front of a highly erodible bank called a high-wall

59
Q

What is contour strip mining?

A

This cuts terraces around the side of a hill, also leaves a high wall

60
Q

What are 6 environmental impacts of mining?

A 
Acid mine drainage
Erosion and sedimentation
Cyanide and other toxic releases
Dust emissions
Habitat modification
Surface and groundwater contamination
61
Q

How is metal extracted from its metal ores?

A

Metal ores are smelted or treated with potentially toxic chemicals to extract the desired metal

62
Q

What is subsidence?

A

A phenomenon where the surface collapses directly above a subsurface mine

63
Q

What are spoils?

A

The unwanted rock and other waste left over after mining either on the surface or subsurface

64
Q

What are tailings?

A

These are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the worthless fraction of an ore

65
Q

What has happened as a result of mining in the US?

A

More than 500 mountain tops have been removed to extract coal and the resulting spoils have buried more than 1100km of streams

66
Q

What is an issue with sub-surface mining in tropical areas?

A

It destroys and degrades vital biodiversity when forests are cleared and rivers are polluted with mining wastes

67
Q

Which toxic waste material can cause poisoning and irreversible brain damage in children?

A

Lead dust

68
Q

How does acid mine drainage occur?

A

Rainwater seeps through a mine or a spoils pile carries sulfuric acid to nearby streams and groundwater

69
Q

What percentage of watersheds have been polluted by mining in the USA?

A

40% of western watersheds in the USA

70
Q

What proportion of all US emissions of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere does mining account for?

A

50%

71
Q

Where does much of the degradation come from?

A

Leaking storage ponds that were built to hold toxic sludge that is produced from mining and processing of metal ores

72
Q

What steps are involved in mining production?

A

Mining - exploration, extraction
Processing- transportation, purification, manufacturing
Use- transportation or transmission to individual user, eventual use and discarding
The energy used to carry out these actions also has environmental impacts

73
Q

Explain ideas relating to depletion

A

Depletion curves for a renewable resource use three sets of assumptions

74
Q

How can the environmental impact of mining be minimised?

A

Scientists and engineers are developing new types of materials as substitutes for many metals
Recycling valuable and scarce metals saves money and has a lower environmental impact than mining and extracting them from their ores

75
Q

What does the future of a resource depend upon?

A

Its affordable supply and how rapidly the supply is used

76
Q

What can a rising price do for a scarce mineral?

A

It can increase supplies and encourage more efficient use

77
Q

What costs should be included in the price to make the use of non-renewable minerals

A

Include the harmful costs of mining and processing minerals in the prices of items

78
Q

How can the government reduce the environmental impact of mining?

A

Reduce mining subsidies

79
Q

How can manufacturing processes improve the environmental impact of mining?

A

Redesign manufacturing processes to use less mineral resources and to produce less pollution and waste

80
Q

What are 6 minerals that could be extracted from the oceans?

A 
Iron
Sodium chloride
Manganese on the deep ocean floor
Diamond
Magnesium
Bromine
81
Q

What does hydraulic fracking often involve?

A

The injection of more than a million gallons of water, chemicals, sand and high pressure down the well

82
Q

Why is pressurised fluid inserted into fracking wells?

A

It causes the formation to crack, allowing natural gas or oil to flow up the well

83
Q

What is meant by water acquisition?

A

Large volumes of water are transported for the fracturing process

84
Q

What is meant by chemical mixing?

A

Equipment mixes water, chemicals, and sand at the well site

85
Q

What is meant by well injection?

A

The hydraulic fracturing fluid is pumped into the well at high injection rates

86
Q

What is meant by flowback and produced water?

A

Recovered water is stored on-site open pits or storage banks

87
Q

What is meant by waste water treatment and waste disposal?

A

The wastewater is then transported for treatment and/or disposal

88
Q

How can drinking water get fracked?

A

Toxic chemicals from fracking seep into the bedrock and seep up into drinking aquifers which then enters water drinking systems

GEO1005 (8 decks)

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