Chapter 11: Geology, Minerals, and Mining – Flashcards
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geology
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the study of Earth's physical features, processes, and history
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core
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Earth's center. Consists mostly of iron, solid in the inside and molten in the outer area.
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mantle
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surrounds the core. Made up of dense, elastic rock. A portion of the upper area is called the asthenosphere and contains soft, melted rock
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lithosphere
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above the asthenosphere. Includes the uppermost mantle and the entirety of Earth's third major layer, the crust.
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Crust
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the thin, brittle, low density layer of rock that cover's Earth's surface.
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Plate Tectonics
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The cooling and warming of the Earth's mantle, pushing the rock cyclically upward and downward. As the mantle moves, it drags large plates of lithosphere along its surface.
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divergent plate boundaries
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tectonic plates that push apart from one another as magma rises upward, creating new crust as it cools.
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magma
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rock heated to a molten, liquid state.
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transform plate boundaries
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Causes Friction that generates earthquakes. Plates slide alongside each other.
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convergent plate boundaries
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This type of plate boundary can have two consequences: Subduction or collision.
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subduction
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one plate that slides beneath another.
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rock cycle
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A series of processes on the surface and inside Earth that slowly changes rocks from one kind to another
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rock
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any solid aggregation of minerals
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mineral
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any naturally occurring solid element or inorganic compound with a crystal structure, a specific chemical composition, and distinct physical properties.
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lava
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magma on earth's surface.
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igneous rock
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rock that forms when lava cools.
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sediments
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Loose materials such as rock fragments, mineral grains, and bits of shell that have been moved by wind, water, ice, or gravity
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sedimentary rock
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formed when sediments are physically pressed together and as dissolved minerals seep through sediments and act as a kind of glue.
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metamorphic rock
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when rock is subjected to great heat or pressure, it may alter its form.
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earthquake
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pressure relieved from the earth along fault lines.
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volcano
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where molten rock, hot gas, or ash erupts through Earth's surface.
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landslide
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occurs when large amounts of rock or soil collapse and flow downhill.
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mass wasting
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the downslope movement of soil and rock due to gravity.
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tsunami
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an immense swell or wave of water that can travel thousands of miles across oceans.
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mining
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the systematic removal of rock, soil, or other material for the purpose of extracting minerals of economic interest.
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metal
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a type of chemical element that typically is lustrous, opaque, malleable, and can be found in a pure state in earth's crust.
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ore
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a mineral or grouping of minerals from which we extract metals.
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smelting
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heating ore beyond its melting point and combining it with other metals or chemicals.
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tailings
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portions of ore left over after metals have been extracted.
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surface impoundments
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Excavated depressions suc as ponds, pits, or lagoons into which liquid hazardous wastes are drained and stored.
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strip mining
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layers of surface soil and rock are removed from large areas to expose the resource.
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subsurface mining
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shafts are excavated deep into the ground, and networks of tunnels are dug or blasted out to follow deposits of the mineral.
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acid drainage
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occurs when sulfide minerals in newly exposed rock surfaces react with oxygen and rainwater to produce sulfuric acid.
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open pit mining
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mining that involves digging a gigantic hole and removing the desired ore.
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placer mining
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mining involving sifting through large amounts of debris by hand or with simple tools.
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mountaintop removal mining
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mining involving several hundred vertical feet of mountaintop to be removed to allow recovery of entire seams of a resource.
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reclamation
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the goal or restoring a mining site to the condition similar to its condition before mining.
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general mining act of 1872
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encourages people and companies to prospect for minerals on federally owned land by allowing any U.S Citizen or any company with permission to do business in the United States to stake a claim on any plot of public land open to mining.
