Environmental Science: Chapter 16 Test

A quarry also could be called

an open pit

Evaporates most commonly form in

arid regions where rates of evaporation are high

The minerals that conduct electricity well are called

metals

What can contaminate a river during dredging?

muddy sediments

Which of the following is not a method of subsurface mining?

open-pit mining

Which of the following is a water contaminant that can cause acid mine drainage?

sulfuric acid

Which of the following are minerals that contain valuable substances?

ore minerals

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a mineral?

atoms in random geometric patterns

Surface mining can cause

both air and noise pollution

Two or more atoms chemically bonded together form a(n)

compound

Acid mine drainage

harms or kills aquatic life

Gangue minerals

have no commercial value

Collapse of _____ can lead to subsidence.

pillars in abandoned mines

An open pit used to mine minerals near the surface is called a(n) _________

quarry

The land recovery process required of mine operators is called ________

reclamation

Reclamation is the process of

returning land to its original or better condition after mining

Which of the following would most likely be mined using solution mining?

salt

The layer of impurities on top of molten metal that forms during smelting is called

slag

The process where crushed ore is melted at high temperatures to separate impurities from molten metal is called ____________________

smelting

Solution mining is an economical mining method if mineral ores are _______ in water

soluble

The first step in surface coal mining is

to remove and set aside the soil that covers the area to be mined

Acid mine drainage is contaminated _____ that results when acid dissolves toxic minerals that exist in mine waste.

water

What is one property that may be used to distinguish metallic from nonmetallic minerals?

electrical conductivity

Metallic minerals conduct ____________________

electricity

A serious hazard of coal mining that can ignite and possibly burn for years is/are ______________________________

fires

Which of the following is not one of the ways that ore minerals may form?

flooding of empty streambeds and rivers

Nonmetallic minerals prized mainly for their beauty, rarity, or durability are called

gemstones

Through _____, mining companies can identify areas where there may be valuable mineral resources.

mineral exploration

Placer deposits are surface mineral deposits that have been concentrated by

movement of wind and water

From whom must mining companies obtain permits before mining a site?

state and federal agencies