1. The Costs & Benefits of MINERAL RESOURCES

2. Mineral Resources and Reserves Defining factors –Geology, technology, economy, and legality Resource = Usable economic commodity extracted from naturally formed material (elements, compounds, minerals, or rocks) Reserve = Portion of a resource that is identified and currently available to be extracted legally and profitably

3. Problems with Resources LIMITED AVAILABILITY! –Nonrenewable resources Finite amount but growing demand –Supply shortage due to global industrialization More Developed Countries consume a disproportionate share of existing resources –Erratic distribution and uneven consumption Highly developed countries use most of the resources; supply varies

4. Responses to Limited Availability Find more sources Find a substitute Recycle Use less and make more efficient use of what is available Do without

5. Major Import Sources Friends –Canada: Metals –United Kingdom: platinum, rare earths Other –China: graphite, tin, tungsten, rare earths –South Africa : platinum, fluorspar, diamonds –Chile: arsenic, iodine

6. Backbone of modern societies Availability = a measure of a society’s wealth Important in people’s daily life as well as in overall economy Processed materials from minerals account for 5% of the U.S. GDP Mineral resources are nonrenewable Mineral Resources

7. Mineral Value Direct value –Raw, mined minerals –Recycled, reused, and repurposed –Imports vs. exports Indirect value –Processing and manufacturing of resources and goods Value added –Agriculture and Sales of goods

8. Common Use of Mineral Products METALLIC HYDROCARBON NON-METALLIC

9. Geology of Mineral Resources Metallic ore – Useful metallic minerals that can be mined for a profit –Technology, economics, and politics Concentration factor –Concentration necessary for profitable mining, e.g., for gold is about 5000 Variable with types of metals Variable over time

10. Genesis of Mineral Resources

11. Plate Tectonics and Mineral Resources Plate boundaries –related to the origins of many ore deposits Plate tectonic processes –high temperature & pressure –partial melting –promote release and enrichment of metals along plate boundaries Metal ores are common at plate boundaries –Iron, Copper, Zinc, Lead, Gold, Silver

12. Example: Mid-ocean ridge Circulation of sea water –Salty and metallic Heated, then cooled –Precipitates ores Can we mine MOR deposits? What happens at subduction zones?

13. What explains Urals, S. Africa?

14. Intrusive Igneous Deposits (Silverton) Major source of metals and mineral wealth

15. Mineral Resources and Environmental Impact Environmental impacts … –From mineral exploration and testing –From mineral mining –From mineral resources refining –From mining waste disposal

16. Environment Impact of Mineral Development The impact depends upon many factors: –Mining procedures –Hydrologic conditions –Climate factors –Types of rocks and soils –Topography Role of Culture –NIMBY (not in my back yard) –Need/desire for jobs

17. Impact of Mineral Exploration and Testing Mineral exploration and testing –Surface mapping, geochemical, geophysical, and remote-sensing data collection –Test drilling Impact –Generally minimal impact –More planning and care needed for sensitive areas (arid, wetlands, and permafrost areas)

18. General impact Direct impact on land, water, air, and biological environment Indirect impact on the environment: Topographic effect, transportation of materials, etc. :Impact on social environment: Increased demands for housing and services Impact of Mineral Extraction and Processing

19. Impact of Mineral Extraction & Processing Land disturbances Waste from mines: –Area required for waste disposal = 40% all mine area –Mining waste makes up 40% of all solid wastes Special mining, cyanide leaching from gold mining Mining acid drainage, during mining and post- mining

21. Impact of Mineral Extraction and Processing Water pollution –Trace elements leach into water Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Mo, Zn –Flooding of abandoned mines oxidation of sulfide ores = sulfuric acid –Acid mine drainage from tailings

22. Minimizing the Impact of Mining Transfer knowledge and technology from developed countries  developing countries Strengthen Environmental Regulations –Forbid bad mining practices –Clean Air Act –on- and offsite treatment of wastes Land reclamation –~50% of land used in mining industry reclaimed Use of new biotechnology in mining –Bio-oxidation, bioleaching, bio-absorption, genetic engineering

23. Minimizing the Impact of Mining

24. Recycling Mineral Resources Why recycle? Consider the impact of the wastes –Toxic to humans –Dangerous to natural ecosystems –Degradation of air, water, and soil –Use of land for disposal –Aesthetically undesirable

25. Almost all waste contains recyclable materials Recycling saves money land and ecosystems Water and air Energy Raw minerals from more mining Saves energy and money when recycling instead of refining raw ore materials Recycling has been proven to be profitable and workable Recycling Mineral Resources

26. Amount of Metal used in the U.S. 134 million metric tons (Mt) $32 billion Iron and Steel 88.6% weight and 27.7% value Aluminum 38.0% value Recycling scrap requires 1/3 the energy compared to refining virgin ore Recycling contributed 76.9 Mt of metal $14.2 billion or 58% of metal’s weight Most recycled: Pb 65%, Fe 60%, Cu 48% Least recycled: Zn 26% and Sb 27%

27. Minerals and Sustainability Sustainability = long-term strategy for consuming the resources Find an alternative material for metal, ex: glass fiber cable for copper wires Use raw materials more efficiently More Research & Development Innovative substitutes Ways to maintain the Resource : Consumption A solution to the depletion of nonrenewable resources

28. Questions… 1.Considering the fact that mineral resources are nonrenewable: a)Do you believe that technology will eventually help to meet the growing demand for mineral resources? b)If yes, explain. 2.Biotechnology shows the potential for cleaner minerals extraction and waste disposal. a)Could biotechnology bring about any environmental problems? 3.What types of environmental impact would occur if we increasingly extract more mineral resources from the seafloor?