5.9: Impacts of Mining
The known amount of a resource left that can be mined.
What is reserve?
Resources that do not run out if overused, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, or geothermal.
What are nondepletable renewables?
The most widely used sources of energy globally.
What are fossil fuels?
Biomass fuel sources that are easily accessible; often used in developing countries as a home heating or cooking fuel.
What are subsistence fuels?
A method of natural gas extraction that involves cracking sedimentary rock layers with pressurized water and capturing the released natural gas.
What is fracking?
Strip mining typically harvests this.
What is coal?
This kind of energy source exists in a fixed amount and cannot be easily replaced.
What are nonrenewable energy sources?
This percentage of the population uses 80% of the world's energy.
What is 20%?
A fuel source made by heating wood under low oxygen conditions for a long period of time.
What is charcoal?
The prehistoric remains of these form fossil fuels.
What are plants and animals?
When the sulfur content in coal and tailings dissolves in water, it creates this acid.
The indicator rate that dictates whether or not a fuel source can be considered renewable.
What is rate of consumption?
The doubling time equation is this divided by growth rate.
What is 70?
The "cleanest" fossil fuel (produces the fewest air pollutants and CO2 emissions).
What is natural gas?
Process by which crude oil is converted into different petroleum products.
What is fractional distillation?
Contamination of soil and surface water can be caused by this byproduct of subsurface mining operations, which is pumped out of the mines.
What is acidic water?
In a developing nation, an increase in the use of subsistence energy sources would most likely be caused by an increase in the cost of this nonrenewable energy source.
What is coal?
Until 1875, this was the main energy source used globally.
What is wood?
The most valuable/highest quality form of coal.
What is anthracite?
Bitumen deposits where crude oil is recovered.
What are tar sands?
Describe the indirect environmental consequences of surface mining.
Removal of vegetation and soil, topsoil erosion, habitat loss, increased stream turbidity
Describe why coal is considered a nonrenewable energy source.
Nonrenewable energy sources like coal exist in a fixed/finite/limited amount.
Describe the difference in energy usage between developed countries and developing countries.
Developed countries use more energy per capita, but developing nations use more energy in total.
Explain the process of peat formation.
Water is retained in a depression, marsh vegetation develops, freshwater swamp forests develop, and the water table expands.
Describe the geological features associated with natural gas reserves.
Shale formations, sandstone beds, and coal seams.