2. Essential Questions
What elements are important for our society?
What is the average crustal content of common
minerals?
To what extent must a metal be concentrated above
its average crustal content to make mining it
economically viable?
3. Rocks
A rock is an
aggregate of one or
more minerals.
There are over a
1,000 different types
of rocks on Earth.
4. Rock Classifications
Physical Properties
Chemical Composition
Specimen of Tourmaline and Quartz
7. Minerals
A mineral is a naturally
occurring, inorganic
solid with an orderly
crystalline structure and
a definite,
homogeneous chemical
composition.
8. Medieval Manuscripts
Much of the ink used in
these brilliantly colored
manuscripts came from
various minerals.
17. Mineral Contents of Common Rocks
About 0.0001 to 0.008 weight percent of copper,
lead, zinc and tin
About 0.00001 to 0.000002 weight percent of
platinum, silver, and gold
About 6.0 weight percent of iron
19. Economically Viable Deposits
25 x crustal content for iron
60 x crustal content for copper, lead, zinc, and tin
Only several parts per million for gold and
platinum
21. Mineral Formation Processes
Sedimentation (coal)
Precipitation (salts, metals)
Crystallization from Magma Plutons (ores)
Changes in Temperature and Pressure (ores)
Fluid Inclusions (ores)
36. Minerals are Crystalline
Typical of Halite Typical of Pyrite Typical of Typical of
Diamonds Quartz
Most minerals atoms are arranged in regular,
3D frameworks
Fig. 3-8, p. 78
53. Mineral Deposits Associated with
Magma Intrusions
Located in Siberia,
the mine in the
picture is apparently
the world's largest
diamond mine.
Kimberlites
55. Escondida Copper Mine, Chili
is today the world's largest
producing mine with
750,000 metric tons of
production which was 5.6%
of the world's production in
2000.
56. Sub-Surface Mining Methods
Digging Deep Vertical Shafts
Blast Subsurface Tunnels
Use Machinery to Remove Ore
57. WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS OF USING MINERAL
RESOURCES?
58. Impacts (mining, processing, use)
Scarring and disruption of
land surface
Collapse of land above
mines
Wind or water erosion of
toxic mineral wastes
Thermal water pollution
Acid mine drainage
Emission of toxic chemical Nickel Tailings in a River
into atmosphere
Noise Pollution