ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 13e

CHAPTER 12:Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral

Core Case Study: The Real Cost of Gold

• Two wedding rings = 6 tons of mining waste

• Gold mining pollutes air and water

• Toxic cyanide used to mine gold

• Gold mining harms wildlife

Fig. 12-1, p. 273

12-1 What Are the Earth’s Major Geological Processes and Hazards?

• Concept 12-1 Dynamic processes move matter within the earth and on its surface and can cause volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and earthquakes.

The Earth Is a Dynamic Planet

• What is geology?

• Earth’s internal structure– Core

– Mantle

– Asthenosphere

– Crust

– Lithosphere

Plate Tectonics

• Tectonic plates

• Divergent plate boundaries

• Convergent boundaries

• Transform fault boundaries

Fig. 12-2, p. 275

Mantle (asthenosphere)

Mantle (lithosphere)

Mantle (lithosphere)

Continental crust(lithosphere)

Continentalrise

Continentalslope

ContinentalshelfAby

ssal

pla

in

Foldedmountain belt

Abyssal plain

Oceanic crust(lithosphere)

Abyssal hillsAbyssal

floorAbyssal

floorOceanic

ridgeTrench

Craton

Volcanoes

Fig. 12-2, p. 275

Fig. 12-3, p. 275

Innercore

Hot outercore

Mantle

Continentalcrust

Cold densematerial fallsback through

mantle

Hot material rising through the mantle

Two plates movetowards each other.One is subductedback into the mantleon a falling convectioncurrent.

Mantleconvection

cell

Oceanic crustOceanic crust

Oceantrench

Spreadingcenter

Continentalcrust

Subduction zone

Material coolsas it reaches

the outer mantle

Fig. 12-3, p. 275

Fig. 12-4, p. 276

PACIFICPLATEPACIFICPLATE

JUAN DEFUCA PLATE

JUAN DEFUCA PLATE

CHINASUBPLATE

CHINASUBPLATE

PHILIPPINEPLATE

PHILIPPINEPLATE

INDIA-AUSTRALIANPLATE

INDIA-AUSTRALIANPLATE

AFRICANPLATE

AFRICANPLATE

ARABIANPLATE

ARABIANPLATE

SOMALIANSUBPLATESOMALIANSUBPLATE

ANATOLIANPLATE

ANATOLIANPLATE

CARIBBEANPLATE

CARIBBEANPLATE

EURASIAN PLATEEURASIAN PLATENORTHAMERICANPLATE

NORTHAMERICANPLATE

SOUTHAMERICANPLATE

SOUTHAMERICANPLATE

NAZCAPLATENAZCAPLATE

ANTARCTIC PLATE

Fig. 12-4, p. 276

Divergent plate boundaries Convergent plate boundaries Transform faults

Fig. 12-5, p. 277

Volcanoes

• Magma

• Lava

• Eruptions– Lava rock

– Hot ash

– Liquid lava

– Gases

Fig. 12-6, p. 277

Fig. 12-6, p. 277

Extinct volcanoes

Upwelling

magma

Partially molten

asthenosphere

Solid

lithosphere

Magma reservoirMagma reservoir

Magma conduitMagma conduit

Central ventCentral vent

AshAcid rain

Eruption cloud

Lava flow

Mud flow

Landslide

Ash flow

Earthquakes

• Stressed rocks shift or break

• Seismic waves

• Seismographs

• Richter scale to measure amplitude

• Tsunami

Fig. 12-7, p. 278

Fig. 12-7, p. 278

Earth movementscause flooding inlow-lying areas

Two adjoining platesmove laterally alongthe fault line

Landslidesmay occur onhilly ground

EpicenterFocus

Shockwaves

Liquefaction of recentsediments causesbuildings to sink

Fig. 12-8, p. 279

Fig. 12-9, p. 279

Fig. 12-10, p. 280

Fig. 12-10, p. 280

Undersea thrust fault

Earthquake in seafloor swiftlypushes water upwards, andstarts a series of waves

Waves move rapidly indeep ocean reachingspeeds of up to 890kilometers per hour.

As the waves near land theyslow to about 45 kilometers perhour but are squeezed upwardsand increased in height.

Waves head inlandcausing damage intheir path.

Malaysia

IndonesiaSumatra

Sri Lanka

India

Thailand

BangladeshBurma

December 26, 2004, tsunami

Earthquake

Upward wave

12-2 How Are Earth’s Rocks Recycled?

• Concept 12-2 The three major types of rock found in the earth’s crust are recycled very slowly by physical and chemical processes.

Rocks and Minerals

• Minerals

• Rock– Igneous

– Sedimentary

– Metamorphic

• Rock cycle

Sedimentary Rocks

• Sediments– Tiny particles of eroded rocks

– Dead plant and animal remains

• Transported by water, wind, or gravity• Pressure converts into rock

– Sandstone

– Shale

– Coal – some types

Igneous Rocks

• Forms from magma

• Can cool beneath earth’s surface– Granite

• Can cool above earth’s surface– Lava rocks

• Most of earth’s crust

Metamorphic Rocks

• From preexisting rocks– Pressure

– Heat

– Chemically active fluids

• Slate from shale

• Marble from limestone

Fig. 12-12, p. 282

Metamorphic rockSlate, marble,gneiss, quartzite

Melting

Magma(molten rock)

Cooling

Granite, pumice,basalt

Weathering

Erosion

Transportation

Deposition

Heat, pressure

Heat, pressure,stress

Sandstone, limestone

Sedimentary rock

Igneous rock

Fig. 12-12, p. 282

12-3 What Are Mineral Resources and What Are the Environmental Effects of Using Them?

• Concept 12-3 Some minerals in the earth’s crust can be made into useful products, but extracting and using these resources can disturb the land, erode soils, produce large amounts of solid waste, and pollute the air, water, and soil.

Nonrenewable Mineral Resources (1)

• Minerals

• Mineral resources– Fossil fuels

– Metallic

– Nonmetallic

• Reserves

Nonrenewable Mineral Resources (2)

• Ore– High-grade ore– Low-grade ore

• Examples of mineral resources– Aluminum– Iron – used for steel– Copper– Gold– Sand and gravel

Fig. 12-13, p. 283

Surfacemining

Metal ore Separationof ore fromgangue

Smelting Meltingmetal

Conversionto product

Discardingof product

Recycling

Fig. 12-13, p. 283

Conversionto product

Stepped Art

Surfacemining

Metal ore Separationof ore fromgangue

Smelting Meltingmetal

Discardingof product

Recycling

Fig. 12-13, p. 283

Fig. 12-14, p. 284

Extracting Mineral Deposits (1)

• Surface mining

• Overburden

• Spoils

• Open-pit mining

Extracting Mineral Deposits (2)

• Strip mining

• Area strip mining

• Contour strip mining

• Mountaintop removal

• Subsurface mining

Fig. 12-15, p. 284

Fig. 12-16, p. 285

Spoil banks

Bench

Undisturbed land

Overburden

Pit

Fig. 12-16, p. 285

Harmful Environmental Effects of Mining

• Disruption of land surface• Damage to forests and watersheds• Biodiversity harmed• Subsidence• Toxic-laced mining wastes• Acid mine drainage

Fig. 12-17, p. 285

Fig. 12-18, p. 286

Fig. 12-18, p. 286

Harmful Environmental Effects of Removing Metals from Ores

• Ore mineral – desired metal

• Gangue – waste material

• Smelting– Air pollution

– Water pollution

– Acidified nearby soils

– Liquid and solid hazardous wastes

12-4 How Long Will Supplies of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Last?

• Concept 12-4 Raising the price of a scarce mineral resource can lead to an increase in its supply, but there are environmental limits to this effect.

Uneven Distribution of Mineral Resources

• Abundant minerals

• Scarce minerals

• Exporters and importers

• Strategic metal resources– Economic and military strength

– U.S. dependency on importing four critical minerals

Supplies of Mineral Resources

• Available supply and use• Economic depletion• Five choices after depletion

1. Recycle or reuse2. Waste less3. Use less4. Find a substitute5. Do without

Market Prices Affect Supplies of Nonrenewable Minerals

• Supply and demand affect price• Not a free market in developed countries

– Subsides, taxes, regulations, import tariffs

• Prices of minerals don’t reflect their true costs

• Developing new mines is expensive and economically risky

Science Focus: Nanotechnology

• 100 nanometers or less– 1 nanometer = 1 billionth of a meter

• Widespread applications

• Potential risks

• Need for guidelines and regulations

• Future applications

Case Study: U.S. General Mining Law of 1872

• Design: Encourage exploration and mining

• Mining claim can give legal ownership of land

• Abused: land used for other purposes• Low royalties to federal government• Leave toxic wastes behind• $32-72 billion est. to clean up abandoned

mines

Fig. 12-19, p. 289

Mining Lower-grade Ores

• Improved equipment and technologies• Limiting factors

– Cost

– Supplies of freshwater

– Environmental impacts

• Biomining– In-situ mining

– Slow

Ocean Mining

• Minerals from seawater• Hydrothermal deposits• Manganese-rich nodules• High costs• Ownership issues• Environmental issues

12-5 How Can We Use Mineral Resources More Sustainably?

• Concept 12-5 We can try to find substitutes for scarce resources, reduce resource waste, and recycle and reuse minerals.

Finding Substitutes for Scarce Mineral Resources

• Materials revolution– Ceramics

– Plastics

– Fiber-optic glass cables

• Limitations

• Recycle and reuse– Less environmental impact

Using Nonrenewable Resources More Sustainably

• Decrease use and waste

• 3M Company – Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program

• Economic and environmental benefits of cleaner production

Fig. 12-20, p. 291

Case Study: Industrial Ecosystems (1)

• Mimic nature to deal with wastes – biomimicry

• Waste outputs become resource inputs

• Recycle and reuse

• Resource exchange webs

Case Study: Industrial Ecosystems (2)

• Reclaiming brownfields

• Industrial ecology

• Ecoindustrial revolution

Fig. 12-21, p. 292

Pharmaceutical plant Local farmers

Fish farming

Cement manufacturer

Area homes

Surplus natural gas

Surplusnatural gas

Surplussulfur

Waste heat

Wasteheat

Wasteheat

Wasteheat

Sludge

Sludge

Wasteheat

Wastecalciumsulfate

Electric power plant

Wallboard factory

Sulfuric acid producer

Fly ash

Greenhouses

Oil refinery

Fig. 12-21, p. 292

Electric power plant

Sulfuric acid producer

Surplussulfur

GreenhousesWasteheat

Cement manufacturer

Fly ash

Oil refinery

Waste heat

Surplusnatural gas

Area homes

Wasteheat

Fish farming

Wasteheat

Wallboard factory

Wastecalciumsulfate

Surplusnatural gas

Local farmers

Sludge

Sludge

Pharmaceutical plant

Wasteheat

Stepped Art

Fig. 12-21, p. 292

Three Big Ideas from This Chapter - #1

Dynamic forces that move matter within the earth and on its surface recycle the earth’s rocks, form deposits of mineral resources, and cause volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

Three Big Ideas from This Chapter - #2

The available supply of a mineral resource depends on how much of it is in the earth’s crust, how fast we use it, mining technology, market prices, and the harmful environmental effects of removing and using it.

Three Big Ideas from This Chapter - #3

We can use mineral resources more sustainably by trying to find substitutes for scarce resources, reducing resource waste, and reusing and recycling nonrenewable minerals.

Animation: Geological Forces

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Animation: Plate Margins

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Animation: Sulfur Cycle

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Animation: Resources Depletion and Degradation

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Video: Continental Drift

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Video: Asteroid Menace

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Video: Indonesian Earthquake

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Video: Tsunami Alert Testing

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Video: Mount Merapi Volcano Eruption

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