Environmental Science | Ch. 16 Test

the ____ regulates the release of hazardous substances into the air, soil, and water by mining

Comprehensive Response Compensation and Liability Act

a mining method used for large ore deposits near the surface that are mined downward

open-pit mining

what is NOT a regulation mining companies must follow?

the Hazardous Products Act

the _____ sets standards to minimize the surface effects of coal mining on the environment

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977

two or more metals combined

alloy

A quarry also could be called

an open pit

gangue minerals

are minerals that have no commercial value

Evaporites most commonly form in

arid regions where rates of evaporation are high

funds posted by a mining company before mine operations can begin

bond

What must hot subsurface waters contain in order to be considered hydrothermal solutions?

dissolved minerals

what hot, subsurface waters must contain in order to be considered hydrothermal solutions

dissolved minerals

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

electrical conductivity

acid mine drainage

harms or kills aquatic life

a mining method used to recover gold from ancient riverbeds

hydraulic mining

concentration of metal present in an ore

iron ore

mineral type that often conducts electricity well

metallic

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

mineral exploration

a process used by mining companies to 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

What can contaminate a river during dredging?

muddy sediments

mineral type that may be translucent

nonmetallic

what is NOT a method of subsurface mining?

open pit mining

what are minerals that contain valuable substances?

ore minerals

Collapse of _____ can lead to subsidence

pillars in abandoned mines

required by SMCRA

reclamation

Reclamation is the process of

returning land to its original or better condition after mining

type of subsurface mining

room and pillar

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

slag

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

state and federal agencies

a water contaminant that can cause acid mine drainage

sulfuric acid

what is a water contaminant that can cause acid mine drainage?

sulfuric acid

A mining method used when shallow ore deposits are located close to Earth's surface

surface mining

surface mining can cause

both air and noise pollution

salts left behind after evaporation

evaporites

what is NOT one of the ways that ore minerals may form?

flooding of empty streambeds and rivers

A material that bonds with impurities and separates them from molten metal during smelting is called a(n) ____________________

flux

bonds with impurities

flux

lead-containing ore

galena

Dredging streambeds may be an effective technique for mining

gold

mineral with the highest per capita consumption in the United States

grade

what would NOT likely be mined using solution mining?

gypsum

protected by the Endangered Species Act

habitat

the first step in surface coal mining is

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

one of the most serious consequences of coal mining

underground mine fires

what is NOT a characteristic of a mineral?

usually an inorganic solid