Mineral Resources and The Rock Cycle

1
Mineral Resources and The Rock Cycle

• Mineral naturally occurring, solid, inorganic
  Material with a crystalline structure and a
  Definite chemical composition
• Rock Mixture of minerals
• Mineral Resource a minerals that can extracted
  and converted into a resource at affordable prices

2
Natural Hazards

• Earthquakes
• Volcanoes
• Floods
• Mass Movements

3
Earthquake stress in earths crust can cause
solid rock to deform until it suddenly fractures
and shifts along the fault producing a fault.

• Two types of Earthquakes
• Deep-focus caused when one plate slides under
  another plate (subduction), the plate gets jammed
  and pressure builds up, then with a sudden
  movement the plate slips under the other causing
  a very big earthquake.
• Shallow focus caused by plates sliding past one
  another. When the plates get locked up and then
  suddenly move the earthquake is created.
• Epicenter point on earths surface directly
  above the
• Focus point where initial movement takes place.
• Magnitude size of quake measured on a
  logarithmic scale called the Richter scale.
• Tsunami earthquake generated water wave.
• Control of quakes geologic mapping, examine
  history records, building codes, ideally learn to
  predict
• 
  

4
Volcanoes when magma reaches earths surface
through cracks or fissures

• 3 Types
• Composite Cone large, steep sided, explosive,
  thick granitic magma, associated with convergent
  plate boundaries, lots of gas and ash.
• Examples

5
Shield Volcano

• Shield flat, non-explosive, lots of liquid
  basaltic lava, associated with divergent plate
  boundaries and hot spots
• Example

6
Mass Wasting movement of rock by gravity

• slump, creep, rockfalls, landslides, mudflows
• factors that affect mass wasting steepness of
  slope, amount of moisture, roads, building, fire
• subsidence land sinks and forms sinkholes.
  Caused when underground caves collapse. Can also
  be from removal of excess oil or groundwater
• Example

7
Soil composition

• Soil Horizons series of layers or zones with a
  distinct texture and composition
• Soil profile a cross-sectional view of horizons
  in soil
• O-horizon top layer, surface litter which is
  leaves and debris
• A-horizon topsoil layer some inorganic
  materials and humus which is partially decomposed
  organic material.
• these two top layers have fungi, bacteria, and
  protists that break down complex organic solids
• A thick topsoil layer is good for crop.
• B-horizon (subsoil) broken down inorganic rock
• C-horizon parent rock

8
Leaching

• water infiltration occurs when precipitation
  occurs, this rain washes minerals out of the
  top layers of soil

9
Soil Texture The relative amounts of clay, silt
an sand, soil with equal amounts of each are
called loams which are the best types for growing
crops
10

• Soil Porosity a measure of the volume of pore
  spaces in the soil
• Soil Permeability the rate that water moves
  through the soil, which is determined by soil
  porosity
• Soil porosity, texture and permeability determine
  a soils water holding capacity, aeration and
  workability

11

• Soil Acidity (pH), influences the uptake of soil
  nutrients by plants, also acid soil causes the
  leaching out of nutrients. PH of 5.5 to 8.5 is an
  acceptable range for most plants