Flashcards · 0680 · Topic 1

Natural resources flashcards

29 cards on Topic 1, subtopics 1.1 to 1.6. Pick a subtopic or study them all.

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How do igneous rocks form? Give two examples.: Magma or lava cools and crystallises. Granite cools slowly underground and has large crystals; basalt cools quickly at the surface and has small crystals.
How do sedimentary rocks form? Give three examples.: Eroded particles are deposited in layers, then compacted and cemented. Examples: limestone, sandstone, shale. They commonly contain fossils.
How do metamorphic rocks form? Give two examples.: Existing rock is changed by heat and/or pressure without melting. Marble forms from limestone; slate forms from shale.
What is permeability, and which rocks are permeable?: The ability of water to pass through the pore spaces of rock and soil. Most sedimentary rocks, such as limestone and sandstone, are permeable; igneous and metamorphic rocks and shale are impermeable.
Why is the rock cycle not one fixed loop?: It branches: any rock can be weathered into sediment, changed by heat and pressure, or melted and recrystallised, so a rock need not pass through all three types in order.

What is an ore?: Rock containing minerals and metals in amounts worth extracting.
What are the three methods of extracting rocks, ores and minerals?: Surface extraction (opencast, open-pit, open-cut, strip mining), subsurface extraction (deep or shaft mining) and biological extraction (phytomining and bioleaching).
Phytomining vs bioleaching: Phytomining: plants absorb metal compounds from the soil, then are harvested and burned, and the metal is recovered from the ash. Bioleaching: bacteria release metal compounds from low-grade ore into a solution.
Which factors affect the decision to extract a deposit?: Exploration, geology, accessibility and terrain, the quantity and quality (grade) of the deposit, climate, environmental impact assessment, supply and demand, and cost and profit.
Land restoration vs repurposing after extraction: Restoration returns land towards its earlier state: replacing overburden, improving soil, bioremediation, tree planting. Repurposing gives it a new use: landfill, lakes, recreation, nature reserves.

What is a finite resource?: A natural resource that is used up faster than it is replaced, such as a mineral ore.
What does sustainable management of resources mean?: Using strategies that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Give strategies for managing rocks, ores and minerals sustainably: Reduce and reuse, recycling, more efficient extraction, avoiding depletion, legislation and its enforcement, and using alternative materials.
Give a benefit and a limitation of recycling metals: Benefit: less mining, so less habitat damage and waste. Limitation: collecting and sorting cost money and depend on people taking part.

How does coal form?: Swamp plants partly decay in waterlogged, low-oxygen conditions, are buried, and are changed by heat and pressure over millions of years.
How do oil and natural gas form?: Remains of marine organisms are buried in sea-bed mud without oxygen and changed by heat and pressure over millions of years. The oil and gas are trapped beneath impermeable rock.
Which energy resources are renewable and which are non-renewable?: Renewable: biofuels (bioethanol, biomass, biogas, wood), geothermal, hydro-electric, tidal, wave, solar and wind power. Non-renewable: fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) and nuclear power using uranium.
How do most power stations generate electricity?: Heat from burning fuel, nuclear fission or hot rocks turns water to steam, which drives a turbine connected to a generator. Moving water or wind turns turbines directly; solar cells convert light directly.
Give one benefit and one limitation of nuclear power: Benefit: steady output with very little carbon dioxide during generation. Limitation: radioactive waste that must be stored safely for a very long time, and a risk of accidents.
Which factors affect demand for energy?: Transport, personal and national wealth, climate, population size, industry, disruption to supply, unreliable supply and scarcity of resources.

What strategies conserve and manage energy resources?: Reducing consumption, insulation, energy-efficient devices and vehicles, using existing resources better, education, transport policies, battery storage and developing new energy resources.
Blue hydrogen vs green hydrogen: Blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas. Green hydrogen is produced using renewable resources.
What does a heat pump do?: It transfers heat from the ground (ground source) or from the air (air source) into a building for heating.
Why does battery storage help renewable energy?: It saves no energy itself, but it stores surplus electricity from intermittent sources such as solar and wind for use later, at a cost.
Behaviour-based vs technology-based energy saving: Behaviour-based (reducing use, education): cheap but depends on people changing habits. Technology-based (insulation, efficient devices, heat pumps): saves energy over time but costs more at the start.

What is fracking?: The extraction of natural gas or petroleum from shale rock by hydraulic fracturing: water, sand and chemicals are pumped down at high pressure to crack the rock and release the gas or oil.
Why does gas in shale need fracking to extract it?: Shale is impermeable, so the gas cannot flow through it to a well until the rock is cracked open.
What are the benefits of fracking?: Access to gas and oil otherwise out of reach, greater national energy supply and fewer imports, jobs and tax income, and gas emits less carbon dioxide than coal when generating electricity.
What are the limitations of fracking?: Large water use, risk of ground water contamination, small earthquakes, methane leaks, and it is still a fossil fuel.