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General Classification of
Nonrenewable Mineral Resources
The U.S. Geological Survey classifies mineral resources
into four major categories:
Identified:known location, quantity, and quality or existence
known based on direct evidence and measurements.
Undiscovered: potential supplies that are assumed to exist.
Figure 15-7
GEOLOGIC PROCESSES
Deposits of nonrenewable mineral resources in the
earth’s crust vary in their abundance and
distribution.
A very slow chemical cycle recycles three types of
rock found in the earth’s crust:
Sedimentary rock (sandstone, limestone).
Metamorphic rock (slate, marble, quartzite).
Weathering
Deposition
Igneous rock
Sedimentary Granite,
rock pumice,
Sandstone, basalt
limestone
Heat, pressure
Cooling
Heat, pressure,
Magma
stress
(molten rock)
Melting
Metamorphic rock
Slate, marble,
gneiss, quartzite
Fig. 15-8, p. 343
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF USING
MINERAL RESOURCES
Minerals are removed through a variety of methods that
vary widely in their costs, safety factors, and levels of
environmental harm.
A variety of methods are used based on mineral depth.
Surface mining: shallow deposits are removed.
Subsurface mining: deep deposits are removed.
Mining Regulations
The General Mining Act of 1872 is a United States
federal law that authorizes and governs prospecting
and mining for economic minerals, such as gold,
platinum, and silver, on federal public lands. This law,
approved on May 10, 1872, codified the informal
system of acquiring and protecting mining claims on
public land, formed by prospectors in California and
Nevada from the late 1840s through the 1860s, such
as during the California Gold Rush.
Open-pit Mining
Machines dig holes
and remove ores,
sand, gravel, and
stone.
Toxic groundwater
can accumulate at
the bottom.
Figure 15-11
Area Strip Mining
Earth movers strips
away overburden,
and giant shovels
removes mineral
deposit.
Often leaves highly
erodible hills of
rubble called spoil
banks.
Figure 15-12
Contour Strip Mining
Used on hilly or
mountainous terrain.
Unless the land is
restored, a wall of
dirt is left in front of
a highly erodible
bank called a
highwall.
Figure 15-13
Mountaintop Removal
Machinery removes
the tops of mountains
to expose coal.
The resulting waste
rock and dirt are
dumped into the
streams and valleys
below.
Figure 15-14
Environmental Impacts of Mining
Figure 15-15
Gold Processing
Gold is treated with a Cyanide compound which
produces a Gold-Cyanide complex which is soluble
Problem: Hydrogen Cyanide gas is toxic
Hyperaccumulation
Hyperaccumulator plants accumulate inordinate
amounts of one or more Trace Elements (TE)s in their
above ground biomass.
Hyperaccumulators species may accumulate one or
more of a range of TEs that currently includes nickel,
manganese, zinc, cadmium, thallium, copper, cobalt and
arsenic.
Hyperaccumulation may have applications in mining in
the future.
Natural Capital Degradation
Extracting, Processing, and Using Nonrenewable Mineral and Energy Resources
Figure 15-9
SUPPLIES OF MINERAL RESOURCES
Figure 15-16
SUPPLIES OF MINERAL RESOURCES
Figure 15-17
USING MINERAL RESOURCES MORE
SUSTAINABLY
Scientists and engineers are developing new types
of materials as substitutes for many metals.
Recycling valuable and scarce metals saves money
and has a lower environmental impact then mining
and extracting them from their ores.
Solutions
Sustainable Use of Nonrenewable Minerals
Bonding.
Land Restrictions.
SMCRA
Figure 15-19