Download Surface Processes On The Earth

RESOURCE EXTRACTION
STARTER
1. What is one result of
widespread crop irrigation in
desert regions in the western
United States?
A. spread of disease
B. lower rainfall amounts
C. increased salt levels in soil
D. rising groundwater tables
2. What is a significant problem
with using nuclear fission as a
domestic energy resource?
A. The waste produced is
generally long lived and
harmful to living things.
B. Nuclear fission releases large
amounts of greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere.
C. Nuclear fission only produces
a small amount of energy per
mass of material used.
D. There are no natural sources
of fissionable material to be
found in the United States.
OBTAINING RESOURCES
• In order to obtain resources humans must utilize one of the following
methods
• Harvesting – Wood, Peat
• Mining – Coal, Uranium/Plutonium
• Drilling – Oil, Natural Gas
• Each method has an impact on the lithosphere and the environment
WOOD HARVESTING
• Trees are harvested and cut
down in order to provide:
• Paper
• Lumber
• Plywood
• Furniture
• Provides resources for humans
however it destroys ecosystems
• Oxygen will decrease,
Carbon Dioxide will increase
PEAT HARVESTING
• Peat is harvested and used to add nutrients and other chemicals
to soils to make them more fertile
• Peat is renewable however does disrupt ecosystems
COAL MINING
• There are 2 major methods of coal mining:
• Surface Mining
• Underground mining
• Coal mining is harmful to the environment because:
• It disrupts the landscape of the lithosphere  Causes erosion
• Leaves behind toxic substances  Pollute air and water
URANIUM/PLUTONIUM MINING
• There are 3 methods for mining Uranium and Plutonium:
• Open Pit Mining
• Underground Mining
• In-Situ Leaching
• All of these methods create health risks for workers
OIL DRILLING
• Oil is contained inside of rocks that prevent it from escaping (Oil Traps)
• Oil rigs are used to drill inside of the rocks and pump the oil out
• Concerns about oil drilling:
• Oil spills – Could destroy ecosystems and affect wildlife
NATURAL GAS DRILLING
• Natural gas is obtained from
hydrofracking
• Rock near the bottom of a
well is broken up
• Used in order to increase the
flow of natural gas from the
well
• Environmental Effects:
• Accidents can cause
hazardous chemicals to
escape
• Produces waste that must be
disposed of