Chapter 15: Minerals and Environment

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Chapter 15 Minerals and Environment

• Holden mine (near Lake Chelan in Washington), an
  old copper and gold mine

Big Question Is It Possible To Use Nonrenewable
Resources Sustainably?
2
Case Study

• Newport Golf Club near Seattle, similar to the
  Fossil Trace Golf Club described on page 319 in
  your textbook.
• NewCastle Golf Club, built on former coal mine
  and landfill area. See http//www.golf.com/golf/c
  ourses_travel/coursefinder/course/0,28290,1517440,
  00.html

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The Importance of Minerals to Society

• Some uses for minerals in a typical American home.

4
Formation of Mineral Deposits

• High concentrations of Earth materials form ore
  deposits. The origin and distribution of mineral
  resources are related to the history of the
  biosphere and the geologic cycle.

5
Distribution of Mineral Resources

• Earths crust is silica-rich.
• The oceans have low concentrations of many
  minerals.
• Mined minerals occur in unusually high
  concentrations.

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Plate Boundaries

• Some mineral deposits are formed by plate
  tectonics.
• At divergent plate boundaries, heated water rises
  through fractured rocks and leaches metals from
  them, forming metal sulfides.
• At convergent plate boundaries, a combination of
  heat, pressure, and partial melting mobilizes
  metals in molten rocks.

7
Igneous Processes

• Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro,
  Arkansas, the only active US diamond mine and
  open to the public

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Sedimentary Processes

• The Buckhorn Gold Mine in northern Okanogan
  County is one of the few currently active in
  Washington state.

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Biological Processes

• Some mineral deposits are formed or altered by
  biological processes.
• The major iron ore deposits are in sedimentary
  rocks
• Organisms form many kinds of mineral deposits,
  such as the calcium in shells and bones.

10
Weathering Processes

• Weathered insoluble ore deposits may accumulate
  in the soil unless removed by erosion.
• Weathering can improve low-grade ore by secondary
  enrichment.

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Resources and Reserves
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Use and Availability of Mineral Resources

• Minerals are also classified by use and
  abundance. The most-used minerals are not metals.

13
Mineral Consumption

• A mineral resource can be used in three ways
• Rapid consumption
• Consumption with conservation
• Consumption and conservation with recycling

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U.S. Supply of Minerals

• U.S. use exceeds its own supplies of many
  minerals. Importing may be more practical than
  mining.

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Impacts of Mineral Development

• Bingham Canyon Cooper Pit, Utah

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Social Impacts

• Large-scale mining brings a rapid influx of
• workers.
• Adverse social impacts occur when mines
• close down.
• Greater environmental regulation of the industry
  equal greater costs.
• Wars are often funded by minerals.

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Minimizing Waste

• Generation of waste is a major issue.
• Minimizing environmental effects of mineral
  development
• Regulate the environment at the federal, state,
  and local levels.
• On-site and off-site treatment of waste.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle.

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Minimizing EnvironmentalImpacts of Mineral
Development
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Recycling

• UW recycling video http//www.youtube.com/watch?v
  kWMPNiEzAkw

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Minerals and Sustainability

• Simultaneously exploiting and sustaining mineral
  resources is problematic.
• Human ingenuity is important.
• How long does it take to develop new approaches?

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Chapter 15 Minerals and Environment

• Holden mine (near Lake Chelan in Washington), an
  old copper and gold mine

Questions? E-mail your TA.