Download Minerals - AP Environmental Science

Minerals
Molly Viner
Ursula Miller
Period D
What is a Mineral Resource?
• Occurrence of natural, solid, inorganic or fossilized organic
material in or on the Earth’s crust
• Metallic minerals:
– Occur in rare, naturally formed concentrations known as mineral
deposits.
– Minerals with a metallic luster are opaque and reflective, like metal.
Metal elements, most sulfides, and some oxides belong in this
category.
• These deposits can consist of a variety of metallic minerals
containing valuable metals such as nickel, copper, zinc,
lead, and gold that are used in all aspects of our daily lives.
• The first metal to be mined was galena, which was used by
early pioneers as a source of lead for bullets.
What are Metallic Minerals Used
For?
• Copper: copper pipe, electrical wires, Canadian
penny
• Nickel: stainless steel, cars and trucks frames,
batteries
• Titanium: artificial joints and surgical instruments,
airplane structures
• Iron: bridges, car and truck frames, axes, tools,
steel girders
• Platinum: petrochemical industry to make gas and
purify oil, converters on cars and trucks to reduce
emissions
• Zinc: galvanized nails and cars
• Lead: wet cell batteries
• Gold: jewelry, electrical wiring
Where are Metallic Minerals
Found?
• Most minerals worthy to collectors are
found in deposits, or areas of rock where
large amounts of certain minerals occur.
• Mines:
– Deposits worked for the extraction of certain
minerals or ores
– The most practical place to find mineral
specimens
How are Metallic Minerals
Obtained?
• Mining techniques can be divided into two
common excavation types:
– Surface mining is done by removing
(stripping) surface vegetation, dirt, and if
necessary, layers of bedrock in order to reach
buried ore deposits.
– Sub-surface mining consists of digging
tunnels or shafts into the earth to reach buried
ore deposits.
What is Metallic Minerals
Availability?
• Afghanistan is
one of the
places where
metallic
minerals are
available.
Afghanistan
More Places They’re Available!
• Canada- Ontario is a leading producer of
metals such as platinum, nickel, cobalt, gold,
– During 2007, $502 million dollars were spent
exploring for mineral deposits in Ontario.
• United States- In 1989, additional mining
regulations were enacted as the Missouri
Legislature what is known as the Metallic
Minerals Waste Management Act.
– Regulates the waste produced from metals
mining.
What Costs are Associated with
Metallic Minerals?
• Economically
– For each company, an average of $46.9 million a year
to mine for metallic minerals.
• Environmentally
– Mining metallic minerals is at great cost to the
environment.
– Environmental costs can include erosion, formation of
sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of
groundwater and surface water by chemicals from the
mining processes.
Environmental Impacts?
• 1) Energy Consumption
– Large consumer of electricity
• Consumed 5% of the total US energy consumption
• 2) Air
– Dust from blasting operations, release methane and
radiation.
• 3) Water
– Uses large quantities of water, chemical deposits left
behind by explosives are toxic.
• 4) Land
– Surface mining removed large quantities of rock and
these areas are marked by small holes.
• 5) Health & Safety
– Miners are working in areas of poor ventilation, poor
visibilty, and rock falls.
What is the Outlook for the
Future of Metallic Minerals?
• The outlook is good
– Global production of metallic minerals has
gradually increased over recent decades.
• Recycling has also been increasing,
reducing the growth rate of primary
consumption of metallic minerals.
• Advances in mining technologies has lead
to generally declining, though fluctuating,
metal prices.
Works Cited
• http://www.insidemetals.com/index.php?view=mining_glo
ssary
• http://www.geology.arkansas.gov/minerals/metallic.htm
• http://www.mndm.gov.on.ca/mines/ogs/topics/Metallic_Mi
nerals_e.asp
• http://www.minerals.net/resource/acquirin.htm
• http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/lrp/im-map.htm
• http://www.gov.mb.ca/ctt/profiles/mining/index.html
• http://www.deccoalloys.com/content/metals1.jpg
• http://www.afghan-web.com/geography/mminerals.html