1. Mineral Resources and Mining13
CHAPTER
Placeholder opening page, but maybe we can duplicate the look of the SE chapter opener page by using the same fonts and colors (and maybe that Ch 14 icon?)

2. Mining for Cell Phones?
Large reserves of the metal tantalum are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Africa.
Tantalum jumped in value in the 1990s as high-tech devices that need tantalum, such as cell phones, became common.
There is international concern regarding the role tantalum mining has played in the extended conflict in the Congo.
Talk About It Is it important to think about the sources of the minerals we use?

3. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
Over 4000 minerals have been identified, but only 1% of these are common in Earth’s crust.
Amethyst

4. What Are Minerals? Occur in nature Chemically inorganic Solids
Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
What Are Minerals?
Occur in nature
Chemically inorganic
Solids
Have orderly crystalline structures
Have definite chemical compositions
Pyrite (Fool’s Gold)

5. Properties of Minerals
Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
Properties of Minerals
Property
Description
Color
A few minerals can be identified by their color. But color varies in most minerals depending on how they form.
Streak
The streak of a mineral is the color of its powder. Although mineral color may vary, streak color does not.
Luster
How light is reflected off a mineral’s surface is called luster. It may be described as glassy, earthy, silky, metallic, etc.
Crystal
A mineral can be identified by the particular arrangement of its atoms.
Hardness
Mohs scale ranks mineral hardness 1– = talc, which can be scratched by a fingernail. 10 = diamond, which can scratch all known common minerals.
Cleavage
A mineral that splits easily along a flat surface and forms a new “face” is said to have cleavage.
Fracture
Minerals that break irregularly, rather than leaving a flat surface, have fracture, not cleavage.
Density
Each mineral has a characteristic density—mass per unit volume.

6. Mineral Formation Minerals can form in four ways:
Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
Mineral Formation
Minerals can form in four ways:
Crystallization from magma or lava
Precipitation
Pressure and temperature
Production by organisms
Salt basins of the Sierra Nevada The Miwok people filled these basins with water from a salt spring and let it evaporate, to form salt for trading.
Coral Mineral formed by living things

7. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
Mineral Classes
Minerals are classified based on their elements or compounds.

8. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
Naturally occurring solids made up of minerals and mineral-like materials
Three types: igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
The rock cycle slowly changes rocks from one type to another through heating, melting, cooling, weathering, and erosion.

9. Lesson 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
Types of Rocks
Igneous: Form when magma cools and solidifies; can be intrusive or extrusive
Sedimentary: Form when sediments cement together or when water evaporates and leaves behind minerals; can be clastic, chemical, or biochemical
Metamorphic: Form when heat or pressure changes the crystalline structure of existing rock
Did You Know? In general, the more slowly igneous rock cools, the larger its crystals.
Bryce Canyon National Park

10. Lesson Mining
More than a ton of waste may remain after extracting just a few hundredths of an ounce of gold.

11. Lesson 13.2 Mining
What Is Mined?
Ores: Groups of minerals that are mined so metal or metals can be removed
Nonmetallic minerals: Minerals, including gemstones, that as a whole have valuable properties
Fuels: Minerals that can be used to generate energy
Did You Know? About 100 minerals are considered gemstones, including diamond, topaz, and jade.

12. Process of Mining and Mineral Use
Lesson 13.2 Mining
Process of Mining and Mineral Use
From initial exploration to disposal, mining and mineral use involve many steps.

13. Mining Methods Strip mining Subsurface mining Open pit mining
Lesson 13.2 Mining
Mining Methods
Strip mining
Subsurface mining
Open pit mining
Mountaintop removal
Solution mining
Placer mining
Undersea mining
A strip mining operation in Wyoming
Did You Know? Some subsurface mines in South Africa extend 4 km underground.

14. Lesson 13.2 Mining
Processing Ore
Ores must be processed to gain access to the metals they contain:
Ore is crushed and ground.
Crushed ore is separated into metals and tailings.
Concentrated metals are further processed, often by smelting.

15. Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation
There are about $314 million worth of metals contained in unused cell phones in the United States alone.

16. Environmental Impacts of Mining
Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation
Environmental Impacts of Mining
Increased erosion
Sediment and debris clog waterways.
Acid drainage and other forms of water pollution
Air pollution
Disruption of ocean ecosystems (undersea mining)
Mine Remediation Mitigation of damage caused to the hillside by strip mining

17. Social Impacts of Mining
Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation
Social Impacts of Mining
Property damage caused by mountaintop removal or mine collapse
Although mining can bring money and jobs to poor areas of the world, conflicts can arise over mineral rights.
Mining can be hazardous to the health of the miners.
Did You Know? Around 650 miners or former miners died from complications related to black lung disease in 2005.
Several damaged areas in the Northern Coeur d’Alene Mining District, in Idaho

18. Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation
General Mining Law of 1872
Created rules to manage mining activity, but also promoted mining
Public land can be claimed and leased from the government for mining.
Claim owners can file to patent, or own, the land for $5 per acre.
Amendments are currently being considered
Placer mine on the Hog River, in Alaska

19. Additional Mining Regulations
Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation
Additional Mining Regulations
Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 governs leasing of public lands for fossil fuel, phosphate, sodium, and sulfur mining.
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (1977) requires that coal-mining companies restore land after mining is complete.
An abandoned mine in New York state, now home to hibernating bats

20. Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation
Mine Safety
First law, passed in 1891, established ventilation requirements for coal mines and prohibited miners under 12.
Today, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of regulates mine safety.
In 2010, an underground explosion in a West Virginia mine killed 29 miners.

21. Responsible Mineral Use
Lesson 13.3 Mining Impacts and Regulation
Responsible Mineral Use
Minerals are nonrenewable resources.
Reducing use, reusing, and recycling minerals can help minimize the negative impacts of mining and address limited supplies.
Did You Know? Extracting aluminum ore takes 20 times more energy than obtaining it from recycled sources.