Chapter 14: Geology and Earth Resources

14.1 Earth Processes Shape Our Resources

Earth is a dynamic planet Tectonic processes reshape continents and cause earthquakes and volcanoes

The Solid Earth

Global Earthquakes

Global Volcanoes

The Earths Plates

The Plate Tectonics Model

Global Plate Motions

14.2 Rocks And Minerals

The Rock Cycle Creates And Recycles Rocks Weathering And Erosion Wear Down Rocks

The Rock Cycle

14.3 Economic Geology And Mineralogy

Metals are essential to our economy What Do You Think? Should We Revise Mining Laws?
The Mining Law of 1872

Nommetallic minerals include gravel, clay, sand, and salts

Bingham Canyon Pit, Utah

Bingham Canyon

Everything in Mines is Big

Everything in Mines is Very Big

My Truck Can Eat Your Truck

Where Are They Now?

The Krupps

Taconite Pelletizer

Taconite Pellets

Taconite Pellets

Smelter, Sudbury, Ontario

Superstack, Sudbury, Ontario:

Once 1% of the entire planets sulfur emissions 40,000 tons/day

Slag Pouring, Sudbury, Ontario

14.4 Environmental Effects of Resource Extraction

Mining can have serious environmental impacts
Acid runoff Toxic metals

Processing ores also has negative effects

Sulfur Emissions Waste Disposal

Tailings, Bingham Canyon, Utah

Mercury Mine, California

Mine Runoff, Colorado

Climax Tailings Ponds, Colorado

Coal Tip, England

Aberfan Slide, Wales

14.5 Conserving Geological Resources

Recycling saves energy as well as materials
About 50% of Iron and Steel is Recycled Recycling Electronics

New materials can replace mined resources

New Methods of Mining Low-Grade Ores Synthesizing Minerals (Quartz, Diamonds) Alternatives (Plastics for Metals)

Recycling Electronics

Three Emerging Resource Problems

Lithium (Batteries)
Evaporites (Bolivia): Far Easier to Extract Pegmatites (Lepidolite, Spodumene)

Rare Earths (Electronics)

Col-Tan and Congo Civil War Chinese Monopoly California mine to reopen

Phosphorus (Fertilizer)
Morocco, China, South Africa, Jordan, U.S. = 90%

14.6 Geological Hazards

Earthquakes can be very destructive
Earthquakes Dont Kill People, Buildings Kill People

Volcanoes eject gas and ash, as well as lava

Lava is the Least Dangerous Product of Volcanoes

Landslides are examples of mass wasting

Products of Eruptions
Lava Flows Pyroclastic Debris Bombs Lapilli Ash Mudflows Landslides Gases Steam Carbon Dioxide H2S SO2 HCl HF

Environmental Hazards of Volcanoes

Pollution SO2, HCl in Water Lava Flows Falling Ejecta Ash Falls Building Collapse Crop Destruction Mudflows Direct Damage (Colombia, 1985) Floods (Several Types) Blast (Mt. St. Helens, 1980) Pyroclastic Flow (St. Pierre, 1902) Gas (Lake Nyos, Cameroon, 1986)

Volcanic Explosivity Index

VEI Classification 0 Hawaiian Description non-explosive Plume < 100 m Ejecta volume < 104m Frequency daily Example Mauna Loa

1
2 3

Hawaiian Strombolian Strombolian Vulcanian

Vulcanian /Pelean

gentle
explosive severe

100-1000 m > 104 m

1-5 km 3-15 km > 106 m > 107 m

daily
weekly yearly

Stromboli
Galeras 1993 Lassen 1915 Soufrire Hills 1995 St. Helens 1980 Pinatubo 1991 Tambora 1815

4
5 6 7 8

Pelean/Plinian
Plinian

cataclysmic
paroxysmal

10-25 km
> 25 km > 25 km > 25 km > 25 km

> 0.1 km
> 1 km > 10 km > 100 km

10 yrs
50 yrs 100 yrs 1000 yrs

Plinian/Ultra-Plinian colossal Plinian/Ultra-Plinian super-colossal Ultra-Plinian mega-colossal

> 1,000 km 10,000 yrs

Toba (73,000 BP)

Major Hazards of Earthquakes

Building Collapse Landslides Fire Tsunamis (Not Tidal Waves!)

Safest & Most Dangerous Buildings

Small, Wood-frame House - Safest Steel-Frame Reinforced Concrete Unreinforced Masonry Adobe - Most Dangerous Loose Concrete Blocks (Haiti, 2010)

Not the Best Place to Build?

Construction, Turkey

Construction, Turkey

Construction, Turkey

Construction, Bosnia

Tile Roof, Costa Rica

Tile Roof, Costa Rica

Adobe Buttresses, Texas

Types of Mass Wasting

Creep Slow Landslide Slump Earthflow, Mudflow, Debris Flow Avalanche

Soil Creep

Slide Lake, Wyoming, 1925

Vaiont Slide, Italy, 1962

Rear of Dam

Yungay, Peru, May 31, 1970

Yungay, Peru, May 31, 1970

Lituya Bay, Alaska, July 9, 1958

Lituya Bay, Before and After

The Scour Line

The Highest Wave Ever Recorded

Dealing With Mass-Wasting

Proper Land Use Stay out of Danger Take warnings seriously Structural Control
Retaining Structures Drainage Terraces

Warning System Accept the Risk and Responsibility Abolish Insurance ?