Deck 5: Geologic Resources

Question 1

Which is not a true statement?

A) Mining depletes mineral reserves by decreasing the amount of ore remaining the ground
B) Mining may increase mineral reserves because geologists may discover new mineral deposits which adds to the known amount of ore
C) Subeconomic mineral deposits can increase the profitability of the metal if improvements in mining technology reduce the extraction costs
D) All of the above are true statements

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is not a true statement?

A) Cooling magma does not solidify all at once
B) Higher-temperature minerals crystallize first in cooling magma
C) Lower-temperature minerals crystallize later as the magma cools and the temperature drops
D) All mafic magma bodies crystallize from the bottom upward allowing for the ore minerals to concentrate at the top of the pluton

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which type of rock would you look for metal ores that contain gems and nonmetallic mineral deposits such as sulfur deposits?

A) Sedimentary rocks
B) Metamorphic rocks
C) Igneous rocks that are felsic
D) Igneous rocks that are mafic

Answer 3

D

Question 4

If you were looking for platinum ore, what specific type of rock would you seek to find?

A) Limestone
B) Igneous rocks
C) Sandstone
D) Shale

Question 5

Which is not a true statement about mining?

A) Surface mines are holes excavated into the Earth's surface
B) Underground mines can be several kilometers deep
C) The deepest mine is 1.2 kilometers deep at Bingham Canyon, Utah
D) Coal is only obtained from surface mines

Question 6

If you were looking for mineral-rich, hot water from fractures along the mid-oceanic ridges to extract sulfur deposits, what feature would you be searching for?

A) Black spitters
B) Black smokers
C) Black chimneys
D) Black vents

Question 7

Which of the following is a true statement?

A) Primary energy resources of the early 21st century are fossil fuels including coal, petroleum, and natural gas
B) Mineral resources are formed from the decayed remains of prehistoric plants and animals
C) Ores resources are formed from the decayed remains of prehistoric plants and animals
D) Salt, building stone, sand and gravel are considered to be metallic mineral resources

Question 8

Which of the following is not a true statement?

A) Most mineral ore extracted from Earth is consumed at a higher rate than gold
B) Gold is easily remelted and recycled allowing it to hold its value for centuries
C) Steel that is no longer needed often ends up in a landfill instead of being recycled
D) If you find a rock, it will contain natural concentrations of iron, gold, silver, aluminum and valuable metals that are high enough to just the extraction cost

Question 9

Which would be a good location to find salt in the desert?

A) Playa lake
B) Hydrothermal vent
C) Placer deposit
D) Granitic magma

Question 10

Which is not a true statement?

A) Fossils fuels are nonrenewable
B) Fossil fuels are recyclable
C) Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum and natural gas that formed from the remains of plants and animals
D) When fossil fuels are burned, the energy dissipates and is lost

Question 11

If you were searching for aluminum for mining purposes, which would be the most optimal rock deposit to find this mineral?

A) Granite
B) Bauxite
C) Banded Iron Formations
D) Limestone

Question 12

Which is a true statement about hydrothermal vein deposits?

A) Ore veins can range from less than a millimeter to several meters in width
B) A single vein can produce several million dollars from the gold or silver it contains
C) Disseminated ore deposits contain less concentrated volumes of ore as compared to hydrothermal vein deposits
D) All of the above are true statements

Question 13

If you were going to open a mine to produce aluminum, gold, iron, lead, phosphate rock, tin, and zinc, which country would be the least favorable choice for your mine since it has almost no metal reserves?

A) United States
B) Russia
C) South Africa
D) China
E) Japan

Question 14

Which is not a true statement?

A) Salt decreases water's ability to dissolve minerals
B) The interactions between hot water or steam with rocks or minerals are responsibility for a majority of the formation of ore deposits on Earth
C) Hot water dissolves metals from rock or magma to form a hydrothermal ore deposit
D) Metal-bearing solutions seep through cracks or through permeable rock and precipitate to form an ore deposit

Question 15

Which is not a true statement about mining?

A) Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 requires mining companies to restore mined land for reuse
B) A tax is levied on mining operations to make it possible to reclaim land that was mine before the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 was enacted
C) There are over 8000 unrestored coal mines in the United States
D) Waste rock can erode and leach toxic elements such as arsenic, sulfur, and heavy metals into the environment

Question 16

Which is not a true statement?

A) Sand and gravel are mined from stream and glacial deposits, sand dunes, and beaches for nonmetallic mineral resources
B) Crushed stone are mined from glacial deposits, sand dunes, and beaches for nonmetallic mineral resources
C) Both sand and gravel and crush stone are nonrenewable mineral resources
D) If you have steel that is no longer needed, you should recycle it because this metallic mineral resource is nonrenewable

Question 17

If you were searching for iron for mining purposes, which would be the most optimal site to look for iron?

A) Banded Iron Formation
B) Bonded Iron Formation
C) Ancient granite batholiths
D) Ancient diorite batholiths

Question 18

If you were looking for gold in a stream, where you want to start hunting?

A) Gold settles out in slower stream flows and settles in cracks of the bedrock
B) Gold settles out in faster stream flows and stays in suspension of the water
C) Gold placer deposits are most commonly found on the smooth surfaces of bedrock
D) Gold placer deposits are most commonly found on the banks of streams

Question 19

If you were going to open a mine to produce aluminum, gold, iron, lead, phosphate rock, tin, and zinc, which country would be the best choice for your mine since it is the leading producer of these resources?

A) United States
B) Russia
C) South Africa
D) China
E) Japan

Question 20

Which is not a true statement about hydrothermal water?

A) Granitic magma contains more dissolved water than solid granite rock
B) Magma gives off hydrothermal water as it solidifies
C) Groundwater can be heated to form a hydrothermal solution especially in sedimentary rock layers
D) Mid-oceanic ridges produce basalt that heats seawater as it seeps into the cracks of the ocean floor

Question 21

Which is not a true statement about crude oil?

A) Crude oil is petroleum that is pumped from the ground
B) Crude oil  come in various colors such as brown, yellow, and clear
C) Crude oil is always in a liquid form
D) Crude oil is refined to produce propane, gasoline, heating oil, and other fuels

Question 22

Industry consumers about 50% of the energy used in the United States as compared to residential and commercial buildings which consumers 31% of energy used in the United States.

Question 23

If you want to reduce your energy bill, you could switch from fluorescent bulbs to incandescent bulbs which last ten times longer.

Question 24

Which is not a true statement about coal?

A) Coal produces about 75% of the United States' electricity
B) Coal emits air pollutants that can only be removed with expensive control devices
C) Large coal reserves formed during the Carboniferous Period
D) Large coal reserves formed during the Cretaceous Period

Question 25

Which type of renewable energy is associated with the production of large concentrations of carbon dioxide and particulate matter into the atmosphere?

A) Solar energy
B) Wind energy
C) Geothermal energy
D) Hydroelectric energy
E) Biomass energy

Question 26

Which is not a true statement?

A) Solar energy accounts for 15% of all renewable energy in the United States
B) Biomass energy produces greenhouse gas emissions
C) Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable energy resource in the United States
D) Hydroelectric energy requires the building of a dam to use water to turn turbines

Question 27

Which type of renewable energy is associated underground stream from geysers, volcanoes, and hot springs to spin turbines that generate electricity?

A) Solar energy
B) Wind energy
C) Geothermal energy
D) Hydroelectric energy
E) Biomass energy

Question 28

If you were going to utilize geothermal energy, selecting a site in the western sites where geothermal gradient is higher would be a good choice.

Question 29

If you live near a coal-fired plant, which air contaminant should you be most concerned about?

A) Sulfur
B) Arsenic
C) Mercury
D) Methane

Question 30

Which is not a true statement?

A) A majority of operating nuclear plants in the United States are located east of the Mississippi River
B) Nuclear power production has increased rapidly over the past 30 years in Russia and China
C) Each step in the mining, processing, and use of nuclear fuel produces radioactive wastes
D) When uranium undergoes fission in a reactor, the entire atom must be discarded

Question 31

Which is not a true statement about natural gas?

A) Natural gas forms in a source rock or an oil reservoir when crude oil is heated about 100°C during burial
B) Natural gas is used without for home heating and cooking
C) The current global consumption rates for natural gas are estimated to be between 80 and 200 years
D) Natural gas contains few impurities but it does release substantial volumes of sulfur to the atmosphere
E) Natural gas releases carbon dioxide during combustion

Question 32

If you are concerned about adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, utilizing biomass renewable energy would not be the right choice for you.

Question 33

If you are concerned about the construction of dams that can destroy wildlife habitats, agricultural land, and migratory fish populations, selecting hydroelectric renewable energy is not the right choice for you.

Question 34

If you are concerned about fuel efficiency, selecting a hybrid car that uses a small, fuel-efficient gasoline engine combined with an electric motor would allow you to consume less fuel.

Question 35

Global energy consumption is expected to increase for all major fuel types except coal with renewable energy resources growing at the fast rate.

Question 36

Which is not a true statement?

A) Directional drilling is used to extract oil and natural gas from very low permeable rock
B) Directional drilling allows for tight rock reservoirs to be harvested
C) Directional drilling method using drilling mud to put hydraulic pressure on the end of the pipe where the mud motor and bit are placed
D) All of the above are true statements

Question 37

Which is not a true statement?

A) Fracking is a process by which grains of sand are pumped down a drill casing and forced into the fractures of a rock which props them open
B) Fracking is a type of vertical drilling
C) Fracking may have 10-30 separate stages at a specific well
D) Fracking produces an artificial permeability network which provides pathways for oil or natural gas to seep into the well up to the surface

Question 38

If you want to find gold deposits, you should look in rocks that are formed millions of years ago.

Question 39

If you are concerned about using a renewable energy resource that has the potential to kill birds and bats, hydroelectric power would not be the right choice for you.

Question 40

All plastics are made from hydrocarbons and synthesized from crude oil.

Question 41

In which type of renewable energy does cool surface water get pumped deep into the ground to be heated by subterranean rock and then recirculated back to the surface for use?  _________________________

Question 42

A huge amount of ________ _________ is generated when metal ores and coal are mined.

Question 43

If you wanted to extract rich ore deposits from black smokers, this would be a good investment because the cost to operate machinery in the ocean is not expensive.

Question 44

Desert lakes that contain evaporite deposits can be used for sodium chloride, borax, sodium sulfate, and sodium carbonate to produce paper, soap, medicines, and for tanning of leather.

Question 45

In which type of renewable energy do solar cells produce electricity directly from sunlight?  __________________ .

Question 46

What fossil fuel forms from the accumulation of large quantities of organic matter in muddy sediment deposited in swamps, lakes, and marine waters? ______________

Question 47

What specific ore is very fluid in its molten state and is well-suited to casting because the metal flows into the nooks and crannies of a mold before solidifying? ______________________

Question 48

A conventional reservoir that has an abundance of large open pores that are filled with oil or gas could be made of coarse-grained _____________.

Question 49

In which specific type of renewable energy is substantial carbon dioxide emitted that contributes to global warming? _________________________

Question 50

The discovery of large _________ deposits and the technology of refrigeration have significantly reduced its monetary.

Question 51

Country rock has low concentrations of metals but as hydrothermal solutions percolate through the rock, they can encounter changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical environments causing the solution to deposit metals to form local ore.

Question 52

__________ is a partially decayed plant matter that forms in a swamp or bog because new layers form on top of it preventing atmospheric oxygen from penetrating the deeper layers which halts decomposition.

Question 53

The amount of energy produced today by ______________ sources is small compared to that provided by fossil and nuclear fuels.

Question 54

Since most minerals are denser than magma, early formed crystals can sink to the bottom of a magma chamber in a process called crystal settling.

Question 55

Most ____________ deposits form in warm and rainy tropical or subtropical environments where chemical weathering rapidly occurs.

Question 56

If you to reduce the amount of electricity you use for light in your house, which type of light bulb would be your best choice?

Question 57

What percentage of oil in a reservoir is too viscous to be pumped to the surface by conventional techniques and is left behind when the oil field goes dry?  __________

Question 58

In which type of renewable energy is river water dammed allowing the energy of the water to be harnessed to turn turbines that produce electricity? ____________________

Question 59

What is the name of the rock in which oil originally forms?  ____________________

Question 60

Banded Iron Formations precipitated from the oceans as a result of rising atmospheric oxygen over 3 billion years ago.

Question 61

Explain why natural gas is not a renewable energy resource.

Question 62

Explain the pros and cons of utilizing solar energy as a renewable energy resource.

Question 63

Explain why bauxite would not be found in Montana.

Question 64

Explain the difference between metallic and nonmetallic min eral resources.

Question 65

Explain why a petroleum geologist would use fracking over conventional drilling methods.

Question 66

Explain why copper is in such high demand as a metallic mineral resource.

Question 67

Explain what the petroleum production for the United States is expected to do over the next decade for petroleum, natural gas, and recovery from hydrocarbons from tight oil reservoirs.

Question 68

Explain why rare earth elements (REE) are in such high demand by countries across the globe.

Question 69

Explain the pros and cons of utilizing biomass energy as a renewable energy resource.

Question 70

Explain the pros and cons of utilizing wind energy as a renewable energy resource.

Question 71

Explain what metals that manganese nodules contain.

Question 72

Explain why it is important to recycle steel.

Question 73

Explain how petroleum forms.

Question 74

Explain the natural processes that concentrate ore minerals due to the relationship between the geosphere with water from the hydrosphere.

Question 75

Explain why nuclear energy production is not an environmentally friendly type of energy.

Question 76

Explain what the message was from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated about the reduction of fossil fuels with renewable energy resources.

Question 77

Explain the pros and cons of utilizing hydroelectric energy as a renewable energy resource.

Question 78

Explain the pros and cons of utilizing geothermal energy as a renewable energy resource.

Question 79

Explain how you would search for placer deposits that contain gold.

Question 80

Explain how the burning of coal or oil is unrecyclable.