CH13: VOCABULARY MINERALS AND MINING

Mineral

• An organic compound that is essential for life

• An inorganic solid that has an orderly crystalline structure and a specific chemical composition

• A type of rock formed from volcanic activity

• A liquid substance that can dissolve other materials

Ore

• A type of rock that contains valuable minerals

• A mineral or grouping of minerals that is mined to extract one or more valuable metals

• A process of extracting metals from their ores

• A type of metal that is used in construction

Open pit mining

• A method of mining that involves drilling deep tunnels underground

• A type of mining in which a large hole (versus a shaft or tunnel) is dug to extract ore and the rock around it

• A technique used for underwater mining operations

• A process of extracting minerals from the ocean floor

Precipitation

• The process of water evaporating from the Earth's surface into the atmosphere.

• The return of water from the atmosphere to Earth’s surface in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

• The process of filtering impurities from a liquid solution.

• The absorption of water by soil and plants.

Smelting

• The process of extracting metal from ore by heating the ore beyond its melting point

• A method of purifying water using chemical agents

• The technique of growing crystals from a solution

• A process of converting solid waste into energy

Tailings

• The waste produced in processing ore.

• A type of mineral deposit.

• A method of ore extraction.

• A form of environmental conservation.

Rock cycle

• A process where rocks are formed from magma and lava.

• A very slow process in which rocks are heated, melted, cooled, weathered, and eroded as they change type—igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic—in response to changes in environmental conditions.

• A rapid process that occurs during volcanic eruptions.

• A method of classifying rocks based on their mineral content.

Acid draining

• (A) the acid and the metals it causes to leach from rock that seep into groundwater or enter streams and lakes as runoff

• (B) the sulfuric acid produced when sulfide minerals in exposed rock surfaces react with oxygen and rainwater to produce sulfuric acid

• (C) the process of neutralizing acid in soil to improve crop yield

• (D) the release of carbon dioxide from decaying organic matter in water bodies

Rock

• A solid mass of minerals or mineral-like materials that occurs naturally

• A type of liquid found in nature

• A synthetic material used in construction

• A collection of gases in the atmosphere

Subsurface mining

• A type of mining that involves extracting resources from the surface of the earth

• A type of mining in which vertical shafts are dug deep into the ground and networks of horizontal tunnels are dug or blasted out to follow deposits of a resource

• A method of mining that uses large machinery to remove soil and rock layers

• A technique that involves the use of explosives to create large open pits for resource extraction