Flashcards · 5014 · 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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Igneous rock: Forms when magma or lava cools and crystallises. Granite cools slowly underground (large crystals); basalt cools quickly at the surface (small crystals).
Sedimentary rock: Forms when layers are deposited, then compacted and cemented. Examples: limestone, sandstone and shale.
Metamorphic rock: Existing rock changed by heat and/or pressure, without melting. Marble comes from limestone and slate from shale.
Name the eight processes of the rock cycle: Weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, sedimentation, compaction, cementation and crystallisation.
Is shale permeable? Explain.: No. Although it is sedimentary, shale is impermeable: water cannot pass through its pore spaces. Limestone and sandstone are permeable; igneous and metamorphic rocks are impermeable.

Define an ore: Rock containing minerals and metals.
Surface vs subsurface extraction: Surface: material is removed from near the surface by opencast, open-pit, open-cut or strip mining. Subsurface: deep or shaft mining reaches deposits far underground.
What are the two forms of biological extraction?: Phytomining (plants take up metal compounds, are burned, and the metal is recovered from the ash) and bioleaching (bacteria release metal compounds from low-grade ore into solution).
What impacts can extraction have?: Loss of habitat and biodiversity; air, land, noise, visual and water pollution; water use; waste; and changes to jobs, local and national economies, and facilities and infrastructure.
Land restoration: Returning extraction sites towards their earlier state: replacing overburden, improving soil, bioremediation and tree planting.
Repurposing land: Giving old extraction sites a new use: landfill, lakes, recreation or nature reserves.

Why are mineral ores called finite resources?: They are used up faster than they are replaced by natural processes.
Define sustainable management of resources: The use of strategies that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
List seven strategies for sustainable use of rocks and minerals: Reduce and reuse; recycling; more efficient extraction; avoiding resource depletion; legislation; enforcement; alternative materials.
Why does legislation alone not protect mineral resources?: Laws set rules but only work if they are enforced, and enforcement needs money and staff.

Coal formation: Swamp plants partly decay in waterlogged, low-oxygen conditions, are buried, and are changed by heat and pressure over millions of years.
Describe the formation of petroleum and natural gas: Marine organisms die and settle in sea-bed mud, are buried without oxygen, and are changed by heat and pressure over millions of years. The fuels collect beneath impermeable rock.
Classify nuclear power, tidal power, biogas and natural gas: Renewable: tidal power, biogas. Non-renewable: nuclear power (uses uranium), natural gas (a fossil fuel).
How do hydro-electric, tidal and wave power generate electricity?: Moving water turns a turbine, which drives a generator.
Give one benefit and one limitation of wind power: Benefit: no emissions during generation. Limitation: output depends on the wind, so supply is intermittent.
How do wealth and climate affect energy demand?: Richer people and countries use more energy for transport, appliances and industry. Very hot or very cold climates raise demand for cooling or heating.

List eight ways of managing energy resources: Reducing consumption; insulation; energy-efficient devices and vehicles, including electric vehicles; exploiting existing resources; education; transport policies; battery storage; developing new energy resources.
Where does blue hydrogen come from, and where does green hydrogen come from?: Blue hydrogen: produced from natural gas. Green hydrogen: produced using renewable resources.
Ground source vs air source heat pumps: Ground source: transfer heat from the ground to heat a building. Air source: transfer heat from the air to heat a building.
Why are insulation and electric vehicles said to save energy "over time"?: They reduce energy use for years, but they cost more at the start than behaviour changes such as switching off devices.

Define fracking: The extraction of natural gas or petroleum from shale rock by hydraulic fracturing.
Describe how hydraulic fracturing works: Water, sand and chemicals are pumped down a well at high pressure to crack the impermeable shale, so the gas or oil can escape through the cracks to the well.
Give two benefits of fracking for a country: A larger national gas and oil supply with fewer imports, and jobs and tax income. Gas also emits less carbon dioxide than coal when generating electricity.
Give two environmental limitations of fracking: It uses large amounts of water and risks contaminating ground water. It can also trigger small earthquakes and leak methane, and it is still a fossil fuel.