Notebook Exam 1

Question 1

Carrying capacity

Answer 1

maximum sustainable abundance of a species in a habitat

Question 2

Fertility rate

Answer 2

amount of offspring produced per woman

Question 3

Abundant metals

Answer 3

metals that are 0.1 weight % or more of the Earth’s crust

Question 4

Weight percent

Answer 4

weight of a solute/solution in %

Question 5

Scarce metals

Answer 5

metals that are less than 0.1 weight % of the Earth’s crust

Question 6

Mineral resource

Answer 6

a concentration of natural occurring materials in/on the Earth’s curst in such a form that its economic and legal extraction can happen at a given time

Question 7

Reserves

Answer 7

the part of a resource that can be extracted; to become a reserve you must know location, concentration, quality, and quantity

Question 8

Measured

Answer 8

volumes and tonnage well established

Question 9

Indicated

Answer 9

volumes and tonnage estimated with less precise data

Question 10

Inferred

Answer 10

deposits are assumed to extend beyond what is known reserve

Question 11

Reserve base

Answer 11

is used in considering the resource availability; measured + indicated + marginally economic + a portion of sub economic

Question 12

Crust

Answer 12

the thin coating on the outside edge of our planet

Question 13

Diameter of earth

Answer 13

6,401 km

Question 14

Oceanic crust

Answer 14

5-15 km; uniform; dense-mafic

Question 15

Igneous rocks

Answer 15

rocks that crystalize from a cooling melt

Question 16

Mafic

Answer 16

igneous; rocks enriched in magnesium and iron, depleted in silica; dark in color; more primitive, from the mantle

Question 17

Felsic

Answer 17

igneous; rocks enriched in silica and aluminum; enriched in magnesium and iron; light in color

Question 18

Continental crust

Answer 18

thicker; 25-75 km; diverse; light-felsic

Question 19

Mantle

Answer 19

2,885 km thick; solid, flowing in convection cells; ultramafic

Question 20

Outer core

Answer 20

liquid metal circulating; generates a magnetic field; mostly made of Fe, Ni

Question 21

Inner core

Answer 21

solid metal; mostly Fe

Question 22

Divergent (plate tectonics)

Answer 22

plates move apart; generates magma; usually under oceanic crust; magma stays mafic
where most volcanic activity occurs

Question 23

Convergent (plate tectonics)

Answer 23

plates come together

Question 24

Subduction (convergent plate tectonics)

Answer 24

one plate forced under the other; dehydrates, adds fluids, generating melts

Question 25

Transform (plate tectonics)

Answer 25

plates slide past one another; not a ton of ore generation/deposits here

Question 26

Hot spots

Answer 26

intra plate features of heat fueled by large columns of hot mantle

Question 27

Assay

Answer 27

the testing of a metal or ore to determine its ingredients and quality (concentration)

Question 28

Grade

Answer 28

concentration of extractable ore (high-more and low-less)
most often grades are given in weight %

Question 29

Cut off grade

Answer 29

lowest grade of ore that is extractable for processing

Question 30

Head grade (mill grade)

Answer 30

grade of ore that’s fed into the mill after mixing

Question 31

Igneous

Answer 31

solidify from a melt

Question 32

Metamorphic

Answer 32

rocks created from solid state reactions accompanied by changes in pressure, temp and/or fluids

Question 33

Sedimentary

Answer 33

rocks created by the deposition/precipitation of sediments

Question 34

Skarns

Answer 34

contact metamorphic of carbon material; makes calc silicate deposits; 300 to 800 degrees Celsius; low to moderate depths/pressure

Question 35

Metamorphic

Answer 35

change shape- recrystallizing rocks; change shape, change rocks