Distribution of Natural Resources

Distribution of Natural Resources

Middle School

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Learning Objectives

• Define natural resources and distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable types.

• Explain how geoscience processes lead to the uneven distribution of resources.

• Describe the formation of important resources through geological processes.

• Analyze how human extraction of resources changes their distribution on Earth.

Key Vocabulary

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Natural Resource

A natural resource is any material from the environment that people use to meet their needs.

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Nonrenewable Resources

Nonrenewable resources are natural materials that cannot be replaced easily within a human lifetime once they are used.

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Geoscience Process

A geoscience process is any natural event or series of events that shapes and changes the Earth’s surface.

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Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are energy-rich substances formed from the buried remains of ancient plants and animals over millions of years.

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Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring, solid, non-living substance that is made up of one or more elements.

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Ore

Ore is a type of rock that contains a high concentration of a valuable or useful mineral.

Key Vocabulary

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Groundwater

This is the water that is held underground within the tiny spaces in soil or rock crevices.

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Aquifer

An aquifer is a layer of rock or sediment that can hold and transmit a usable amount of groundwater.

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Subduction Zone

A subduction zone is a place where one of Earth's tectonic plates slides underneath another plate.

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Hydrothermal Activity

This refers to the circulation of hot water, often heated by magma, which is linked to volcanic action.

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Geologic Trap

A geologic trap is an underground rock formation that blocks the movement of oil or natural gas.

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What Are Natural Resources?

Renewable Resources

• Renewable resources are those that can be replaced naturally over a relatively short period.

• Some renewable resources, such as sunlight and wind, are considered virtually unlimited in supply.

• Others, like forests and fish, can run out if they are used faster than they can be replenished.

Nonrenewable Resources

• Nonrenewable resources exist in fixed amounts and cannot be easily replaced once they are used up.

• These resources, like minerals and metals, are considered finite because they are not naturally replenished.

• Fossil fuels such as coal and oil take millions of years to form from ancient organic matter.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?

• Renewable resources can be replaced in a short time, while nonrenewable resources exist in fixed amounts.

• Renewable resources include minerals and metals, while nonrenewable resources include wind and sunlight.

• Renewable resources are only found underground, while nonrenewable resources are found on the surface.

• Renewable resources are always unlimited, while nonrenewable resources are always limited.

Multiple Choice

Why are fossil fuels like coal and oil classified as nonrenewable resources?

• Because they are types of minerals and metals.

• Because they are made from ancient organic matter.

• Because they take millions of years to form and cannot be easily replaced once used.

• Because they are used more quickly than other resources like forests.

Multiple Choice

If a community depends on a local fish population for food, what is the most likely outcome if they catch fish much faster than the fish can reproduce?

• The fish population will remain stable because fish are a renewable resource.

• The fish will become a nonrenewable resource because they are being used up.

• The fish population could be depleted because it is being used faster than it can be replenished.

• The community will automatically switch to using wind or sunlight instead.

Fossil Fuel: Coal Formation

• Coal is a fossil fuel formed from ancient plant remains.

• Over time, heat and pressure transformed these remains into coal.

• The stages of formation are peat -> lignite -> bituminous coal-> anthracite coal.

Multiple Choice

What is coal?

• A fossil fuel formed from ancient plant remains.

• A type of rock created by volcanic activity.

• A mineral formed from compressed ocean sediments.

• A liquid fuel extracted from deep underground.

Multiple Choice

What two factors are necessary to transform ancient plant remains into coal?

• Sunlight and water

• Heat and pressure

• Wind and erosion

• Freezing and thawing

Multiple Choice

Given the stages of coal formation, which type of coal has been exposed to the most intense heat and pressure over the longest time?

• Peat

• Lignite

• Bituminous

• Anthracite

Fossil Fuels: Oil and Natural Gas

• ​Oil and gas form from tiny marine organisms buried for millions of years.

• Heat and pressure changed them into oil and gas, trapped in rock formations.

• We extract them by drilling and sometimes by using the fracking method.

Multiple Choice

From what were oil and natural gas originally formed?

• Decayed trees and plants

• Ancient volcanic rock

• Tiny marine organisms

• Compressed layers of sand

Multiple Choice

How did the remains of tiny marine organisms become oil and gas?

• They were transformed by heat and pressure.

• They were frozen in glaciers.

• They were combined with minerals from rocks.

• They were evaporated by the sun.

Multiple Choice

Based on the formation process, why are methods like drilling and fracking necessary to obtain oil and natural gas?

• The oil and gas are still mixed with ocean water.

• The oil and gas are trapped deep underground within rock formations.

• The oil and gas are too hot to handle safely.

• The oil and gas have not finished forming yet.

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Geoscience Processes & Timescales

• The scientific laws for geoscience processes have always remained the same.

• ​Fossil fuels and minerals are formed by these slow processes over millions of years.

• This geologic timescale is much longer than a human lifespan.

• Therefore, these valuable resources are considered nonrenewable for us.

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Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes the scientific laws that govern geoscience processes over geologic time?

• They have remained the same throughout Earth's history.

• They change significantly from year to year.

• They are different now than they were millions of years ago.

• They only apply to processes on a human timescale.

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between the geologic timescale and the formation of resources like fossil fuels and minerals?

• These resources are formed by slow processes that take place over millions of years.

• These resources are formed by rapid processes that happen within a human lifespan.

• The geologic timescale is shorter than a human lifespan.

• The formation of these resources has no connection to time.

Multiple Choice

Given that minerals and fossil fuels take millions of years to form, what is the most logical conclusion about their availability for humans?

• They are considered nonrenewable because they cannot be replaced within a human lifespan.

• They are considered renewable because the processes that form them are always occurring.

• They will become more abundant in the near future due to constant formation.

• Their value decreases over time because they are so old.

What Are Minerals and How Do They Form?

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From Organic Materials

• A mineral is a solid, non-living substance found in the Earth.

• Some can form from once-living things like plants or animals.

• Coral skeletons can be pressed together to form calcite minerals.

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From Mineral Solutions

• Minerals are left behind when mineral-rich water evaporates into the air.

• Crystals also form when hot water with dissolved minerals cools down.

• This process can leave behind large deposits of solid mineral crystals.

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From Magma and Lava

• An ore is rock with valuable minerals that can be mined.

• Many ores form when magma with dissolved minerals cools and hardens.

• The mineral type depends on the elements and cooling speed.

Multiple Choice

Which statement best defines a mineral?

• A solid, non-living substance found in the Earth.

• A type of rock that contains valuable metals.

• A liquid substance that evaporates from water.

• A solid material formed from living animals like coral.

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between water and mineral formation in a solution?

• Water with dissolved minerals evaporates or cools.

• Skeletons from living things are pressed together.

• Valuable ores are mined from deep within the Earth.

• Magma with dissolved elements hardens into rock.

Multiple Choice

If two bodies of magma with the same dissolved elements cooled at different speeds, what would be the most likely outcome?

• The type of minerals formed would be different.

• The minerals would form from organic materials instead.

• The minerals would dissolve into a water solution.

• The magma would not be able to form an ore.

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Distribution of Mineral Resources

• Mineral distribution is uneven because they form under specific geologic conditions.

• Valuable metal ores are often concentrated by volcanic and hydrothermal activity.

• This activity is common near subduction zones at tectonic plate boundaries.

• Hot fluids here concentrate minerals like gold and copper into veins.

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Multiple Choice

What is the primary reason that mineral resources are not distributed evenly across the Earth?

• Because they are formed by specific geologic processes that only occur in certain places.

• Because humans have mined them unevenly throughout history.

• Because they are distributed evenly but are harder to find in some climates.

• Because they are carried to random locations by rivers and glaciers.

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between volcanic activity and the formation of valuable metal ores like gold and copper?

• They create new minerals through intense pressure.

• They break down rocks, making all minerals easier to access.

• They concentrate scattered minerals into rich deposits called veins.

• They push existing minerals to the Earth's surface.

Multiple Choice

A mining company wants to find a new, large deposit of copper. Based on the geological processes described, which location would be the most logical place to search?

• In the center of a large, stable continent.

• In a flat, sedimentary basin far from mountains.

• Near a tectonic plate boundary.

• At the mouth of a major river delta.

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Soil: A Vital Natural Resource

• Soil forms from weathered rock and deposited sediments from wind and water.

• Soil type and thickness vary based on rock, climate, and land shape.

• Healthy soil is crucial for farming and takes a very long time to form.

• Because it forms so slowly, soil can be used up if not managed well.

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Multiple Choice

What are the primary materials that form soil?

• Weathered rock and deposited sediments

• Decomposed plants and animal remains

• Hardened lava and volcanic ash

• Compacted sand and minerals from space

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between the environment and the soil that forms in a particular location?

• The original rock, climate, and land shape all influence soil characteristics.

• The type of soil in an area is determined only by the shape of the land.

• Climate affects how much soil is formed, but not what type of soil is formed.

• The characteristics of soil are completely random and cannot be predicted.

Multiple Choice

Considering that healthy soil is crucial for farming but takes a very long time to form, what is the most logical conclusion about its use as a resource?

• Soil should be managed carefully because it is a valuable and limited resource.

• New soil can be created quickly whenever it is needed for farming.

• The amount of healthy soil available for farming will always remain constant.

• Since soil forms from rock, it is as common and renewable as rock.

Earth's Water Resources

• Most of Earth's water is salt water; only a tiny fraction is fresh.

• Surface water distribution depends on precipitation and landforms.

• Groundwater collects underground in porous rock layers called aquifers.

Multiple Choice

Which statement accurately describes the overall composition of Earth's water resources?

• Most of it is salt water, with a very small amount being fresh water.

• It is evenly divided between salt water and fresh water.

• Most of it is fresh water stored in glaciers and ice caps.

• It is primarily found in underground aquifers.

Multiple Choice

What is an aquifer?

• A large body of surface water like a lake.

• An underground layer of porous rock that holds water.

• A river formed by heavy rainfall and steep landforms.

• A measurement of how much salt is in the water.

Multiple Choice

If a flat region with porous rock experiences a long-term drought with very little precipitation, what is the most likely outcome for its water resources?

• The area would likely have limited surface water due to low rainfall.

• The flat landforms would cause many large rivers to form.

• The area would have abundant groundwater because of the porous rock.

• The amount of salt water would increase in the region.

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Human Impact on Resource Distribution

• All human activities depend on using the Earth's natural resources.

• Taking resources like ore through mining changes their distribution on Earth.

• This makes the resource disappear from the location where it was mined.

• These resources are used much faster than they can be naturally replaced.

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Multiple Choice

What is the main effect of human activities like mining on Earth's natural resources?

• They change the location and availability of the resources.

• They create new resources for future use.

• They have no significant effect on resource distribution.

• They help resources replace themselves more quickly.

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between the rate at which humans use resources and the rate at which they are naturally replaced?

• Resources are used much more quickly than they are replaced.

• Resources are replaced at the same rate they are used.

• Resources are replaced much more quickly than they are used.

• The rate of resource use does not affect their replacement.

Multiple Choice

If a valuable ore is continuously mined in a specific area, what is the most likely long-term outcome for that resource in that location?

• The ore will likely disappear from that location.

• The ore will be naturally replaced within a few years.

• The quality of the ore in that mine will increase.

• The ore will move to a different, nearby location.

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Common Misconceptions

Misconception	Correction
Resources are found randomly.	Their distribution is the result of specific geoscience processes.
We can always find more resources.	Resources are finite, and their removal is permanent.
Most of Earth's water is usable.	About 97% is salt water and most fresh water is frozen.

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Summary

• Earth's natural resources are unevenly distributed due to slow geological processes.

• Fossil fuels and metal ores form in specific locations from these processes.

• Human activities, like extraction, permanently alter the distribution of these resources.

• Many resources are considered nonrenewable because they form over millions of years.

Poll

On a scale of 1-4, how confident are you about explaining why Earth's resources are unevenly distributed?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4