AP Environmental Science- Ch. 23 Practice Test

Efforts have been made in the last 10 years to change the General Mining Act of 1872. Supporters of the act argue that it should not be changed because __________.

mining companies take large financial risks in opening a mine, so they should be entitled to the large financial rewards if the mine is successful

Which of these is NOT an effect of the increased use of mountaintop-removal mining in the Appalachian Mountains?

increasing employment opportunities as more workers are needed

In order for mining of minerals to be sustainable, we will need to __________.

consider that minerals are a nonrenewable resource, so mining them cannot be sustainable

What materials are mined using placer mining?

precious metals and gems

Which of these materials is NOT currently mined from the ocean floor?

manganese nodules

Which of these is FALSE concerning the laws that govern mining on public land in the United States?

All mine contracts have required the mining company to restore the mined area to premining conditions once the mine is closed.

Which of the following has undergone the most processing (has been through the most changes from when it was found in the ground)?

alloy

Why have some open pit mines been declared Superfund sites?

The waters in the pit become highly acidic and contain high levels of toxic metals.

Salt deposits in Michigan occur in concentrated veins deep underground. What would be the best method for mining these salt deposits?

subsurface mining

Acid drainage does not normally occur in areas before mines are built but tends to happen after the mine has been in operation for many years. What causes acid drainage?

Mining exposes unweathered rock surfaces that react with water and the atmosphere to generate acids.

Which of these is NOT a use for materials mined from Earth?

All of the listed responses come from mined materials.

Reclamation (restoration) of mined areas to their pre-mined condition has been difficult in the United States because __________.

fast-growing plants used in the early stages of reclamation to prevent erosion may impede the growth of other plant species that would be needed for a diverse ecosystem

Which type of mining causes large amounts of sediment and debris to choke rivers and streams as its main environmental impact?

placer mining

Mine tailings are __________.

the remains of ore after most of the metals have been removed

The most dangerous form of mining (for the miners) is __________.

subsurface mining

Strip mining, subsurface mining, and solution mining all take place in which "sphere" of the planet?

lithosphere

Each year, 1.2 billion mobile phones are sold. What percent of old mobile phones are currently recycled?

10%

Which of these is NOT a reason that we have difficulty making accurate estimates of how long our available reserves of minerals will last?

We are unsure of the rate at which minerals are replaced in Earth's crust.

One way to prolong our supply of minerals is through recycling. Recycling of minerals __________.

also uses far less energy than production of minerals from ore

Why do scientists think that the environment and human health cannot be restored to their original conditions after mountaintop mining?

Groundwater remains polluted, even after reclamation efforts.

While solution mining typically poses fewer environmental risks than other mining techniques, its main potential hazard is __________.

contamination of groundwater with acids or heavy metals

One of the steps in processing some metals is smelting. What does smelting do for a metal?

Smelting allows us to alter the properties of a metal to suit particular needs.

Based on the broad definition of "mining," harvesting of which of these materials would NOT be considered mining?

freshly deposited sediments from a river estuary

Which type of mining generates "overburden"?

strip mining

Tantalum is needed for mobile phones, and the Congo was a major supplier of this metal. Which of these is true of how mining for tantalum has occurred in the Congo?

Profits from tantalum mining have helped fuel a war that has killed more than 5 million people.