earth and mineral resources unit 2 section b. renewable and nonrenewable resources renewable...

Earth and Mineral Resources

Unit 2 Section B

Renewable and nonrenewable resources

Renewable resources• Can be replenished over relatively short

time spans • Examples include – Plants

– Animals for food– Trees for lumber

Renewable and nonrenewable resources

Nonrenewable resources • Significant deposits take millions of years

to form • Examples– Fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)–Metals (iron, copper, uranium, gold)

Some resources, such as groundwater, can go in either category depending on how they are used

Mineral resources

The endowment of useful minerals ultimately available commercially

• Mineral resources include– Reserves – already identified deposits from

which minerals can be extracted profitably

– As well as known deposits that are not economically or technologically recoverable

Mineral resources

Mineral resources• Ore – refers to useful metallic minerals

that can be mined at a profit and in common usage to some nonmetallic minerals such as fluorite and sulfur • To be considered of value, an element

must be concentrated above the level of its average crustal abundance

Bauxite – the principal ore of aluminum

Mineral Resources

Earth has 92 natural elements About 99% of the Earth’s crust is comprised of only 8 of these…

Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium

Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources

These 8 common elements combine with 1000’s of rare elements to form +/- 3,000 different mineralsThe key here, however, is this:

Each mineral is potentially a resource, if people find a use for it.

Mineral Resources

Minerals are valued primarily for their mechanical or chemical properties

As technologies evolve, so too do the related values of mineral resources

Mineral Resources

As with energy resources, mineral resources are NOT uniformly distributed around the world…

Mineral Resources

Minerals are either metallic or nonmetallicWeight-wise, 90% of minerals that humans use are nonmetallic!!

Metallic Minerals

Metallic minerals:Contain properties that are valuable for making• machinery, vehicles, weapons, and other

essential elements of an industrialized society…

Metallic MineralsFerrous (metals) - IRON

Refers to iron ore and other alloys used in the production of iron and steel

Nonferrous (metals) - ALUMINUM

Used to make products other than iron and steel

FerrousWhy is iron such a valuable resource?

Good conductor of both heat and electricityAttracted by a magnet and able to be magnetizedMalleable into all sorts of useful shapes

Important Ferrous Metals

Abundant Supply

ManganeseChromiumTitaniumMagnesiumMolybdenum

Limited SupplyNickel•100 years

Tin•50 years

Tungsten•China – 90%

production, 50% reserves

NonferrousWhy is aluminum such a valuable resource?

Light and StrongNon-magneticResistant to corrosionHuge supplyAs well as being malleable, ductile, and a decent conductor…

Important Nonferrous MetalsCopper

60 years supply

Lead25 years…

Zinc45 years…

SilverGold

Prized for beauty and durabilityNot just jewelry

PlatinumS. Africa – 90% reserves

Nonferrous Metal Production