Where in the Earth’s layers do we find the mineral resources on which we depend? What is this layer made up of?
What is a mineral resource?
Define and provide examples of each of the following:
Sedimentary rock
Igneous rock
Metamorphic rock
Differentiate between a high-grade and low-grade ore.
Give examples of metallic and nonmetallic minerals and what they are used for.
What does it mean when a mineral becomes economically depleted? (include a definition of depletion time in your answer)
How can we extend depletion times?
Which countries supply most of the nonrenewable mineral resources used by modern societies?
According to standard economic theory, what happens when a resource becomes scarce in a competitive market system?
Why might the price effect noted in the previous question no longer apply in more-developed countries?
Briefly describe each of the following surface mining techniques:
Open-pit mining
Area strip mining
Contour strip mining
Mountaintop removal
Briefly describe subsurface mining.
Which type of mining (surface or subsurface) disturbs more land?
The mining industry produces more toxic emissions than any other U.S. industry. What % of all the country’s emissions come from mining?
What highly toxic substance is commonly used to extract gold from ore?
What are the environmental hazards associated with tailings and smelting?
What are some materials that are currently being used as substitutes for key minerals?
What are tectonic plates and how do they move?
What are the geological activities that can take place at the boundaries between tectonic plates?
What is the difference between magma and lava? How are the two terms related?
What are some of the benefits of volcanoes?
What is a tsunami, and why is the name "tidal wave" incorrect?