Term 1: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources and Their Extraction, Quizzes of Geology

Download Term 1: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources and Their Extraction and more Quizzes Geology in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Renewable Resources DEFINITION 1 A replaceable resource on a human time scale (months to years); e.g. food, water (surface flow), energy (solar, wind, water, wood), air. TERM 2 Nonrenewable Resource DEFINITION 2 nature renews them more slowly than we use them (thousands to millions of years); e.g. minerals (iron, copper, gold), soil, water (groundwater), energy (petroleum, coal). TERM 3 Resource DEFINITION 3 a concentration of a naturally occurring material (solid, liquid, gas) in or on the crust of the earth in such a form that economical extraction is currently or potentially feasible. TERM 4 Reserve DEFINITION 4 that portion of a resource which is identified and from which usable materials can be legally and economically extracted currently. TERM 5 Groundwater DEFINITION 5 Fresh water found beneath the earths surface in openings in soil and rock. Water gets there by infiltration of rainwater and by recharge from lakes and rivers. TERM 6 Vadose Zone DEFINITION 6 or Zone of Aeration - all earth materials above the water table. TERM 7 Zone of Saturation DEFINITION 7 zone below the water table where all spaces between grains in soil or rock is filled with water. TERM 8 Water Table DEFINITION 8 boundary or surface between the two zones. TERM 9 Aquifer DEFINITION 9 earth material such as sands, gravels, & fractured rock capable of supplying groundwater at a useful rate from a well. TERM 10 Confining Layer DEFINITION 10 clay or shale layers that restrict groundwater flow. TERM 21 Mineral Resources DEFINITION 21 all the elements, chemical compounds, minerals and rocks that we exploit. "If it can't be grown, it must be mined." TERM 22 Commodity Market DEFINITION 22 market where raw resources are traded TERM 23 Stone DEFINITION 23 Most abundantly used mineral material; usually cut & blasted from quarries. Just about every type of rock has been used in building, including granite, sandstone, limestone, marble, serpentine (a highly metamorphosed green rock), slate. TERM 24 Sand & Gravel DEFINITION 24 Obtained from sediment deposits of present-day or ancient river channels or alluvial fans. Sand & gravel are cheap and plentiful. All thats need are bulldozers and dredging equipment. It is then washed and screened to further separate sizes. TERM 25 Glass DEFINITION 25 noncrystalline but its principal component is quartz - SiO2 - silica (60-80% by weight) obtained from quartz sand. TERM 26 Borosilicate Glass DEFINITION 26 (Pyrex) - contains 10-14% boric oxide (B2O3) from the mining of borax [evaporite mineral - more later]; resistant to chemicals (corrosion) and rapid heating and cooling. TERM 27 Crystal Glass DEFINITION 27 (lead crystal) - up to 37% lead oxide (PbO); used in high quality tableware and optic lenses. TERM 28 Cement DEFINITION 28 A chemical binder made chiefly of limestone. Along with steel, the most important construction material of our time. TERM 29 Clay DEFINITION 29 1. Any particles smaller than 1/256 mm in size. 2. Specifically, clay minerals - sheet silicates that contain Al, H2O, and other cations like K, Na, Ca, Fe, Mg. Clay forms from the chemical weathering of feldspars. Any mountain of granite will turn to clays! TERM 30 Salt DEFINITION 30 Not just halite or table salt. includes: halite (NaCl), gypsum (CaSO42H2O), anhydrite (CaSO), Borax (NaBO. 10HO). Salts form from the chemical weathering of feldspars, which release ions like Na, Ca, B (Boron). Salts form where pools of water containing the appropriate ions in concentration, dry- out - typically a very arid (dry) climate. TERM 31 Playa Lakes DEFINITION 31 water runoff from mountains collects in rapidly drying desert lakes; e.g. Death Valley, Nevada; Great Salt Lake, Utah. TERM 32 Supratidal flats DEFINITION 32 high water areas along arid coastlines; e.g. Persian Gulf, Saudia Arabia. TERM 33 Ancient Marine Basins DEFINITION 33 found on continents that fill with marine water; e.g. Michigan Basin, Gulf of Mexico. Most of the world's salt resources come from this. TERM 34 Malleable DEFINITION 34 ability to be easily shaped TERM 35 Ductile DEFINITION 35 easily drawn into wire