Q1 EARTH SCI MIDTERMS

Earth

• about 4.5million y/o

• habitable zone or goldilocks zone

5 Characteristics of Life

• balance temperature

• water

• atmosphere

• nutrients

• energy

earth’s subsytem

• biosphere

• hydrosphere

• atmosphere

• lithosphere

minerals

• nonliving

• solid

• forms naturally

• crystalline structure

• made up of one or more element

elements

pure substances that cannot be broken down into simpler substances

compounds

a substance made up of two or more elements that are chemically bonded

native elements

made up of only one element

identity of minerals

1. color (not dependable)

2. luster - ability to reflect light

3. density - the measurement of how much mass

4. streak - the color of minerals in powdered form by rubbing it on a streak plate

5. cleavage & fracture - (cleavage) the smooth and flat surface of a mineral & (fracture) minerals that break unevenly and has rough surfaces

6. special properties

7. hardness - resistance to being scratched

2 classifications of minerals

silicates - minerals that contain oxygen and silicone (ex. mika, feldspar, quartz)

non-silicates - does not contain silicon and oxygen (ex. halite, carbon)

How do minerals form?

• evaporation

• metamorphism

• deposition

• reaction

• cooling

rocks

mixture of one or more minerals and are naturally part of the earth’s lithosphere

3 types of rock textures:

1. fine-grained

2. medium-graned

3. course-grained

rock cycle

the process by which new rocks from older rock material forms

the rock cycle

• weathering

  • sediment

• erosion

• deposition

• heat

• pressure

types of rocks

1. igneous rock - forms when hot molten rock cools and hardens

2. sedimentary rock - made up of pieces of other rocks (sediments)

3. metamorphic rock - only type of rock that began from a previous rock and forms when it is exposed to extreme heat and pressure

2 Types of Igneous rock

1. felsic - light colored and made up of feldspar and silicone

2. mafic - often dark-colored and rich in magnesium and iron

3 types of sedimentary rocks

• Clastic - fragments rocks of other rocks are bound together

• Chemical - minerals dissolves by water crystalize.

• Organic/Biochemical - remains of living organisms

stratification

a feature of sedimentary rock that contains strata

2 types of metamorphic rocks

• Contact Metamorphism 

  • Magma comes in direct contact and heat up a rock surrounding it.

• Regional Metamorphism

  • High pressure and temperature cause the rock in a large area to change.

index minerals

can indicate the temperature and pressure or depth at which a rock formed.

classification of metamorphic rocks

1. foliated - bonding /mineral alignment

2. nonfoliatied - no bonding

mining resource

 volume of rock that contains a substantial amount of one or more useful minerals

mineral occurence

 a concentration of mineral that is of scientific or technical interest

ore deposite

 mineral deposit that has been tested and known to be economically profitable to mine

process of mining

1. mineral exploration - process of searching for an area

2. mining process - the removal of valuable minerals from the earth

3. miling process - the recovery of minerals from the ore and separation of waste materials

stages done under mineral exploration

• Project Design - initial stage

• Field Exploration - physical activities will be done

• Feasibility Study - look for interest investors that will fund the mining operation

2 classification of mining process

1. Subsurface Mining 

   • removes ore that is near the Earth’s surface.

2. Surface Mining (earth’s surface)

   • Open pit mine - removes large deposits

   • Slope mine - middle portion of the image

   • Shaft mine - dig deep straight to the ground

Different methods to separate minerals during the Milling Process

1. Heavy Media Separation - crystal rocks are submerged

2. Magnetic Separation - uses a powerful magnet

3. Flotation - the pulverized ore is mixed into a chemical mixture

4. Cyanide heap leaching - commonly done in milling gold ore deposits

tailings

• unwated materials from the miling process

• typically has a mud-like consistency

Natural resources

any material from the earth that is used by people

non-renewable resources

• Formed in nature and in fixed amount

• May take a million years to form

renewable resources

• Available in nature that can be replaced by natural processes

• Have infinite amount 

fossile fuels

• An energy resource made from the remains of plants and tiny animals that lived long ago.

energy resources

are natural resources that people use to produce energy, such as heat and electricity and most of them comes from fossil fuels.

different kinds of fossil fuels

natural gas - A mixture of hydrocarbons that are in the form of gases.

petroleum - A mixture of hydrocarbons that are in the form of liquids–also known as crude oil.

coal - A solid fossil fuel that is made of partly decayed plant material.

alternative resources

sources pf energy that are not fossil fuel

kinds of alternative energy

• Hydroelectric Energy or Hydroelectric Power Generation

  • An electrical energy produced from moving water

• Geothermal Energy or Geothermal Power Generation

  • Energy produced by heat within the earth.

  • Considered renewable because the heat inside the earth will last for millions of years

• water resources

  a. saltwater resources

  b. groundwater resources

• surface water resources

three components of a Hydroelectric Energy

• dam - produces a large waterfall and stores enough water

• penstock - transfers or directs water from its natural resource (river or lake)

• powerhouse - contains turbines driven by the waterfall

water cycle

• Evaporation

• Condensation

• Preci[itation

• Transpiration 

• Evapotransporation 

• Accumulation 

• Runoff

• Subsurfacce Runoff

• Aquifer 

ways of human actions that affect water resources

• Land Cultivation

• Land Clearing

• Urban DevelopmenT

• Deforestation / Mining

sedimentation

process of deposition of a solid material from a state of solution in a fluid.

contamination

unwanted materials that can harm water resources and aquatic ecosystems leading to pollution, disease, or habital destruction.

soil

 holds water and nutrients which its ideal place for it to grow is plants.

soil erosion

a gradual process that occurs when the impact of wind detaches and removes soil, causing soil erosion.

activities that speed up erosion

1. Agricultural Depletion

2. Overgrazing Animals

3. Deforestation 

types of wastes

• solid wastes - all discarded household, commercial waste, etc (RA No. 9003)

• MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES (MSW) - items from homes and businesses

• residential waste - residential activities

• commercial waste - waste produced by businesses

• institutional sources - schools, nonmedical waste

waste projection

a graph for determining the amount of waste