Midterm Study Set for ESCI 200
Explain: How five different SDG's link to Earth Science/Geoscience topics
17 SDG's; No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry/Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land, Peace/Justice and Strong Institutions, Partnerships For The Goals
Define: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
17 goals that are working towards global environmental, human sustainability for the long term. These include; No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Clean Water and Sanitation, Climate Action, etc.
Define: Main chemical composition of the Earth's crust
46% Oxygen, 28% Silica, 8% Aluminum, 6% Iron, 6% Other, 4% Magnesium, and 2.4% Calcium
Define: Renewable energy
A natural based form of energy that is sustainable and cleaner than fossil fuels.
Define: Mineral
A solid, naturally occurring inorganic crystalline structure with a distinct chemical composition
Define: Fossil Fuels
An organic based, carbon rich material that is a naturally occurring source of fuel but is not sustainable; coal, gas, and oil
Discuss: How does coal grade relate to the amount of waste rock produced? (Lab #7 and Lab #4)
Anthracite hold's the most energy but is the oldest coal grade and is only 0.2% of coal production in the US 2010, and is difficult to obtain. Lignite is the second least common but produces significantly less energy. Lab #4 discusses how much waste is produced in mining certain ores.
Explain: Why might it be difficult to convince people that the continents actually are moving? E.g. what evidence do we have for plate tectonics?
Because of the lack of visibility (can't see it within a lifetime), evidence for Pate Tectonic's is; Jigsaw fit (Pangea), Fossil evidence, Evidence from rocks (Mountain Chains; Appalachan mountains and Northern European Mountain ranges), Evidence from glaciers (Glacial Striation), Paleoclimatic Evidence, Wadati-Benioff Zone, Hot Spot Track - Age of Hawaiian Islands, and Shape/Topography of the Sea Floor. Also note: Slab Pull and Ridge Push
Define: Oil Trap
Below ground traps where a permeable reservoir rock is covered by some low permeability cap rock.
Explain: Main weathering products of different minerals (broadly, with a few specific examples)
Clay, sand and or rust from oxidation.
Define: How Are Igneous Rock's Made?
Cooling and solidification of Magma/Lava
Demonstrate: How to use mineral properties to identify a mineral
Define a mineral by; luster (vitreous, metallic or dull), Hardness (Moh's Hardness Scale), Color (Dark = Mafic/Fe+Mg, Light = Felsic/Si Rich), Cleavage (degree of broken or smooth surfaces), Streak (the residue left after using mineral on a streak plate), Grain Size/Crystal shape (Small/Non-visible or large/visible)
Explain: How Bowen's Reaction Series relates to weathering susceptibility
Depending on the crystallization temp. of certain rocks and their Silica (Si) content relates to how hard the minerals are: Quartz (Quartz is a Felsic Mineral = High Si) is harder to weather compare to Olivine (Olivine is Mafic = Low Si)
Demonstrate: How to distinguish the various grades of coal
Distinguish by hardness (crumbles or hard as quartz (7-7.5)), luster (vitreous, or dull)
Define: What Is The Chemical Composition Of Pyrite?
FeS2
Explain: What natural resources are located within sedimentary rocks?
Fossil Fuels like; oil/gas and coal
Define: Three Rock Types
Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic
Diagram: What Is The Internal Structure of The Earth (In-->out) Composition
Inner Core (solid) --> Outer Core (Liquid) --> Mantle --> Crust (Contiental + Oceanic)
Diagram: What Is The Internal Structure of The Earth (In-->out) Density
Inner Core --> Outer Core --> Mesosphere --> Asthenosphere --> Lithosphere
Define: How Is Pyrite Weathered and what does it become after?
It's chemically weathered and will become rust and sulfuric acid (battery acid) and is a main component of acid mine drainage
Explain: How heavy metals relate to human health (Week 4)
Lead --> Crazy/death, Mercury --> Increased blood pressure, irritation (skin, eyes, etc.), neurological loss and organ failure, Arsenic --> Organ failure
Define: Mine Tailing
Left over materials from the processing of mined-ore
Define: The Four Coal Grades
Lignite --> Sub-Bituminous --> Bituminous --> Anthracite
Define: How Sedimentary Rock's Are Made?
Lithification; compaction and pressure
Explain: What minerals are used in your everyday life (i.e. what's in your smart phone)?
Lithium, Iron, Tantalum, Tungsten, Cobalt, Tin, etc.
Define: How Are Metamorphic Rock's Made?
Temperature and pressure from overlying rocks
Diagram: Rock Cycle
The "life cycle" of a rock; Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic
Explain: What geologic time period has the most preservation of fossil fuels? Why?
The Carboniferous Period in the Permian Era (298.9 mya)
Discuss: What are the main proportions of energy sources the US uses? What countries use the most energy? What countries have the largest supplies? (Lab/Week #7 -- Synchronous Presentation)
The US uses 20% of global oil and 5% coal, with the three largest areas energy is distributed being; transportation, industry and . The US uses some of the most energy next to China, but these countries are primarily "developed countries" with these countries ironically also having the largest supply with both importing and exporting these fuel sources (The US imports oil because it's cheaper with their oil consumption).
Define: Permeability
The ability for water to enter a system
Define: Porosity
The amount of space in a rock or soil (these hold oil/gas and coal)
Define: Environmental Justice
The fair treatment of both the environment, people, and equal involvement of such. Example: Clean Air for All!
Diagram: Bowen's Reaction Series
The order of which minerals, depending on rock type, stabilize/crystalize at certain temperatures
Define: Source Rock
The original rock in which oil/gas come from; shale, mudstone, etc. and where these fossil fuels come from when they move through the rest of the layers of rock.
Diagram: Oil Window
The period in which oil/gas and coal formed, in the Permian period during the Carboniferous period (note; diagram here isn't one listed/shown in class.)
Define: Fracking
The process to collect, oil/gas and coal that composes of drilling into the Earth in Sedimentary rock deposits and collecting the fuel by injecting fracking fluid.
Define: Cap Rock
The rock that will create the "oil trap" in which the oli/gas won't be able to move further
Explain: What are the similarities/differences between coal and petroleum? How are both formed?
They are both organically formed (Different from WHAT kind of organisms and WHERE they are formed) and they are both formed from pressure and temperature in sedimentary rocks
Discuss: Clark Fork River Case study: what is in the sediments here? How long is this river likely to be impacted by these things in the sediments? How do you know/estimate this? (Lab #3)
Toxic materials (such as heavy metals like Arsinic) were found in the sediments, killing hundreds of livestock that drank from the river. An estimated time for when the sediment will stop impacting the community is 946 years which was estimated by dividing the section of contaiminated river (700,000 meters sq. per year) by the erosion estimate of 740 (meters sq. per year)
Define: What Are The Five Different Biospheres?
Tundra, grassland, forests, deserts, and aquatic biomes.
Discuss: How has mining in the Congo led to human and environmental devastation? What can we do to mitigate this, if anything? (Lab #3)
Wars and human/environmental suffering; broken (or lack of) labor laws in a fight for the resource being mined in the Congo (Cobalt). Increasing labor laws, health codes, and bringing in outside intervention could prove to be of help/aid.
Define: Weathering vs. Erosion
Weathering is the process of breaking down a mineral (or other), and Erosion is the process in which these minerals (or other) are transported/moved.
Discuss: How mining leads to increased weathering and explain some of the specific reactions that weathering leads to. (Lab #1 and 5)
Weathering will increase from the chemicals used in mining increasing not only physical weathering but chemical weathering. With all this weathering, and possible (likely) lack of mine clean up acid mine drainage will come about from the heavy metals and acids (think of pyrite)
Define: Acid Mine Drainage
When a chemical reaction happens from the mix of chemicals with the minerals in the mines that lead to a deadly liquid made up of acid and heavy metals.
Discuss: Examples of mining in the different rock types (Lab #3 and 4)
When mining in metamorphic rock regions, the products will be gems and other metamorphic rock grades (Garnet is a great example). Sedimentary rocks mining regions will produce fossil fuels and other minerals, or like in Lyon's, sedimentary rocks can also produce sandstone.
Discuss: Gold King Mine Case Study: when, what, where, who, why. What was being mined? How? Who were the stakeholders? What went wrong? Who was impacted? (Lab/Week #5 -- Synchronous Presentation)
Who: EPA and Private Contractors, What: 3 million gal. of Acid Mine Spillage (high lead content), When: 8 yrs ago/2015 on Aug. 5th, Where: Durant River -> Animas river (Colorado -> New Mexico, Utah and Arizona) Why: Excavation of mine + cleaning. Gold and Silver was mined via an open pit, with the San Juan Corporation owning the mine. The soil "plug" for the mine had been loosened by the contractors and the acid mine spilled at 500 gallons per minute into the Animas river and flowing to many Native American communities.
Define: Syncline
the dip in level for the cap rock
Define: What Are The Four Different Systems Within The Geosphere?
the geosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the biosphere
Define: Anticline
the hill in level for the cap rock.
