Types of Natural Resources (Chapter 10)

							                Types of Natural Resources (Chapter 10)

    Resource                Definition           Examples                Explanation
    Category
                                                    Trees            These resources are
                       Resources that can           Crops            capable of re-growing or
 Renewable Resources   replace themselves even      Natural fish     renewing themselves in
                       if they have been used.       supplies         a short period of time.




                                                                      These resources can
                       Resources that are gone      Minerals (e.g.   only be created under
   Non-renewable       once they are used.           gold, iron)      quiet specific
     Resources                                      Fossil fuels     conditions.
                                                     (e.g. coal)




                                                    Fresh water      These resources exist
                       Resources that are            flowing          because of natural
   Flow Resources      replaced by natural           through          systems and natural
                       actions whether humans        streams          processes.
                       use them or not.             Ocean currents




                                       Definitions

Resources: items we use

Natural resources: something found in nature that we use

Demand: pressures we put on the environment in order to meet our needs
and wants, such as our demand for building materials to make houses

Supply: items we use to meet our demands

Processes: the activities we use to modify natural resources in order to
better meet our needs.

Technology: the tools we use to change resources

Resource Overlap: a resource that could be classified under more than
one type of resource
Write down examples of resource overlap and explain how they
overlap.

   Example        Types of Resources         How they overlap
                    Renewable         If trees are cut down and we
                                       replant or let the trees reseed
Trees                                  themselves, it is renewable. If we
                   Non-renewable      do not replant, trees are non-
                                       renewable

                     Renewable        When we take the minerals from
                                       the ground, they are non-
Minerals                               renewable. When we recycle the
                     Non-renewable    minerals, they are renewable.




Explain two things that you learned in this chapter.
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  Definitions (Chapter 11: Non-renewable Natural Resources)

Minerals: naturally occurring substances found in the rocks of the earth that can be
used to meet human needs.

Ore deposit: a concentration of a particular mineral large enough to be economically
useful.

Environmental assessment: the study of what effect a project will have on the
natural and human systems of an area.

Underground mining: a vertical shaft dug into or near the ore body (a system for
extracting minerals).

Stopes: horizontal tunnels dug from the vertical mine shaft to the ore face.

Ore face: the rock surface that is being blasted to break up the ore.

Open-pit mining: a mining technique used when the ore is found near the surface.

Beneficiation: the separation of useful minerals from the waste rock.

Tailings: the piles of waste material that have been separated from the valuable ore.
Tailings often become environmental problems.


                        Metallic         Non-metallic             Structural          Fossil Fuels
Description       - have a metallic      - have a dull          - a sub-group of     - raw materials for
                  shine                  appearance             non-metallic         a wide variety of
                  - good conductors      - break apart easily   minerals             products
                  of heat &                                     - used in
                  electricity                                   construction


Examples          Iron, gold, copper,    Salt, potash,          Limestone, sand      Petroleum, coal,
                  nickel, aluminum,      asbestos               and gravel,          natural gas
                  zinc                                          gypsum, sandstone




Formation         - usually found in     - usually found        - associated with    - formed from the
                  rocks that have        with sedimentary       sedimentary rocks    remains of plants
                  cooled from            rocks                                       and animals buried
                  magma                                                              underground


Use               Tools, machinery,      Food seasoning,        Roads, buildings,    Chemicals, heating
                  beams, steel plates,   chemicals, soap,       building material,   fuels, homes,
                  jewellery, coins,      fertilizers,           plaster, wallboard   transportation,
                  wire, cookware,        fireproof fabrics                           industries
                  electrical
                  equipment
                                 Mining Minerals

      Step                                           Process
Prospecting for        - prospecting is the search for natural resources
Minerals               - study samples of rock found at the surface
                       - measure the magnetic field of rocky areas
                       - drill to get rock samples to test for the concentration of minerals
                       found at the site
                       - time consuming and costly

Developing a           - if a site has a large deposit of ore, a company might decide to
mine                   develop a mine to extract the ore
                       - it takes many years to develop and it is difficult and costly



Obtaining the Rights   - the mining company must get permission (buy) the rights from
to Mine Minerals       the owners of the land before they can start extracting the
                       minerals



Protecting the         - companies must complete an environmental assessment (a
Environment            study of what the mine will do to the land, the air, the wildlife, and
                       the people of the area) before they can actually start mining
                       - the company must make sure that they will not be harming the
                       environment (mine must be safe and environmentally friendly)


Building the Mine      - what is the best way to remove the ore from the ground?
                       1. Underground mining: dig a vertical shaft down into or near the
                       ore body. The ore is blasted out at the ore face and transported
                       back to the surface. This method is best if the ore is deep
                       underground.
                       2. Open-pit mining: equipment is used to dig a whole in the
                       ground removing the ore (leaves a big hole)
Refining the Ore       - useful minerals must be separated from the rock
                       - the process of separating the minerals from the rock is called
                       benefication
                       - benefication is done through melting the ore or the use of
                       chemicals
                       - needs to be done near the mine (to save money)
Dealing with           - the companies have to have a way to deal with the tailings (the
Wastes                 leftover material)
                       - the danger of large piles of tailings is that dangerous chemicals
                       and minerals can be washed out and end up in our drinking water
                       - the environmental assessment must have offered a solution

Reclamation            - once the mining has stopped, the company must make the area
                       safe and productive again