Ch. 11 Review Questions

Core Case Study: The Real Cost of Gold

1. Explain why the real cost of gold is more than what most people pay for it. What are some examples of costs not accounted for?

Section 11.1: What Are the Earth’s Major Geological Processes and What Are Mineral Resources?

1. What are the two key concepts for this section?

2. Define geology, core, mantle, asthenosphere, crust, and lithosphere.

3. Define mineral, mineral resource, and rock

4. Define and distinguish among sedimentary rock, igneous rock, and metamorphic rock and give an example of each.

5. What is the rock cycle? Explain its importance.

Section 11.2: What Processes Lead to Soil Formation?

1. What are the two key concepts for this section?

2. Differentiate between physical and chemical weathering. Explain how physical, chemical, and biological forces all contribute to the formation of soil.

3. (c) Why is soil considered a renewable resource? What ecological services does soil provide?

4. (d) What is a soil profile? Identify the layers in a soil profile.

5. (e) Explain the role of decomposers in soil formation.

6. (f) What is the function of soil in nitrogen cycling?

7. (g) Identify the three types of soil particles. What is soil texture? What is the relationship between soil porosity and permeability?

Section 11.3: How Long Might Supplies of Nonrenewable Mineral Resources Last?

1. (a) What are the two key concepts for this section?

2. (b) Define ore and distinguish between a high-grade ore and a low-grade ore.

3. (c) List five important nonrenewable mineral resources and their uses.

4. (d) What are the reserves of a mineral resource and how can they be expanded?

5. (e) What two factors determine the future supply of a nonrenewable mineral resource?

6. (f) Explain how the supply of a nonrenewable mineral resource can be economically depleted and list the five choices we have when this occurs.

7. (g) What is depletion time and what factors affect it?

1. (a) What five nations supply most of the world’s non­renewable mineral resources? How dependent is the United States on other countries for important nonrenewable mineral resources?

2. (b) Explain the concern over US access to rare earth mineral resources.

3. (c) Describe the conventional view of the relationship between the supply of a mineral resource and its market price. Explain why some economists believe this relationship no longer applies in some countries.

1. (a) Summarize the opportunities and limitations of expanding mineral supplies by mining lower-grade ores.

2. (b) Describe the opportunities and possible problems that could result from deep-sea mining.

Section 11.4: What Are the Environmental Effects of Using Nonrenewable Mineral Resources?

1. (a) What is the key concept for this section?

2. (b) Summarize the life cycle of a metal product.

1. (a) What is surface mining? Define overburden and spoils. Define open-pit mining and strip mining, and distinguish among area strip mining, contour strip mining, and mountaintop removal mining.

2. (b) Describe three harmful environmental effects of surface mining. What is subsurface mining?

3. (c) What is acid mine drainage?

4. (d) Define tailings and explain why they can be hazardous. What is smelting and what are its major harmful environmental effects?

Section 11.5: How Can We Use Mineral Resources More Sustainably?

1. (a) What is the key concept for this section?

2. (b) Give two examples of promising substitutes for key mineral resources.

3. (c) What is nanotechnology and what are some of its potential environmental and other benefits? What are some problems that could arise from the widespread use of nanotechnology?

4. (d) Describe the potential of using graphene as a new resource.

5. (e) Explain the benefits of recycling and reusing valuable metals.

6. (f) List five ways to use nonrenewable mineral resources more sustainably.

7. (g) What are two examples of research into substitutes for rare earth metals?

8. (h) Explain why uneven distribution of lithium among various countries is a concern.

Section 11.6: What Are the Earth’s Major Geological Hazards?

1. (a) What is the key concept for this section?

2. (b) What are tectonic plates? What is continental drift?

3. (c) Define and distinguish among divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries.

4. (d) Define volcano and describe the nature and major effects of a volcanic eruption.

5. (e) Define earthquake and describe its nature and major effects.

6. (f) What is a tsunami and what are its major effects?

1. What are this chapter’s three key ideas?