Study Guide for Natural Resources: Minerals and Water| Ch 7,8|EVS

 

Part 1: Short-Answer Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences based on the information provided in the source material.

1. What are the five essential characteristics that define a substance as a mineral?
2. Explain the difference between a mineral and an ore.
3. Describe the three main categories of metallic minerals and provide an example for each.
4. List and briefly explain the four stages of a mining operation.
5. What are the five physical properties used to identify and differentiate minerals?
6. How is water distributed on Earth in terms of saltwater versus freshwater?
7. Differentiate between the Himalayan and Peninsular river systems in India based on their origins.
8. What is a wetland, and what are the three types discussed in the source material?
9. Explain the five types of lakes classified by their productivity levels.
10. What are the three major categories of water pollutants described in the source?

Part 2: Answer Key

1. A substance is defined as a mineral if it exists as a solid under normal conditions, is naturally occurring (not man-made), is inorganic (not from a living thing), has a fixed chemical formula with specific elements, and has a specific atomic arrangement in an orderly structure.
2. A mineral is a naturally produced compound with a clear structure and chemical composition. An ore, in contrast, is a specific mineral or a combination of minerals from which a useful substance, like a metal, can be profitably extracted for manufacturing.
3. The three categories are ferrous, non-ferrous, and precious minerals. Ferrous minerals contain iron (e.g., iron ore, chromite), non-ferrous minerals do not contain iron (e.g., copper, lead, gold), and precious minerals are valuable metals like gold, silver, and platinum.
4. The four stages are: prospecting (searching for minerals), exploration (assessing the size, shape, and economic value of the deposit), development (preparing access to the deposit), and exploitation (extracting the minerals from the mine).
5. The five properties are: color (though not always reliable), luster (the light-reflecting quality, categorized as metallic, sub-metallic, or non-metallic), streak (the color of the mineral's powdered form), cleavage and fracture (how a mineral breaks, either smoothly or unevenly), and hardness (resistance to scratching, measured on the Mohs scale).
6. The vast majority of Earth's water, 96.5%, is saltwater found in oceans and is not drinkable. Only about 3% is freshwater, and of that small amount, most is locked in ice (1.762%) or is groundwater (1.7%), with a very tiny fraction (0.014%) available as surface water.
7. The Himalayan river systems, which include the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra, originate from the Himalayan mountains. The Peninsular river systems, such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, and Krishna, emerge mainly from the Western Ghats.
8. A wetland is an area where the water table is at, near, or above the land surface for a long enough period to support adapted plant growth. The three types are swamps (dominated by trees), bogs (dominated by peat mosses), and marshes (dominated by grasses).
9. The five types are: oligotrophic (very low nutrient levels), mesotropic (intermediate productivity and nutrient levels), eutrophic (rich in nutrients, supporting dense plant populations), hyper-eutrophic (extremely nutrient-rich, characterized by severe algal blooms), and dystrophic (having brown, acidic water with high levels of dissolved humates).
10. The three major categories of water pollutants are: substances that harm humans or animals by causing disease or physical damage; substances or situations that decrease the oxygen content of water, leading to the death of aquatic life; and substances that are indirectly harmful.

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Part 3: Essay Questions

Instructions: Formulate a detailed, evidence-based response to the following prompts using only information from the source material.

1. Discuss the argument that a country's mineral resources are the "backbone of development," linking industrial strength, economic growth, and global power. Use the examples of India and the United States as presented in the text to support the analysis.
2. Analyze the process of mineral extraction (mining), detailing the stages from discovery to extraction. Incorporate a discussion of the significant occupational hazards and safety considerations that are an intrinsic part of this industry.
3. Compare and contrast the different types of lakes based on their origin (e.g., glacial, tectonic, volcanic) and their productivity (e.g., oligotrophic, eutrophic). Provide specific examples of Indian lakes mentioned in the text where applicable.
4. Explain the concept of water pollution as a consequence of human activity. Detail the sources of contamination, the types of pollutants, and the direct effects on both human health and aquatic ecosystems.
5. Synthesize the approaches to water conservation and management discussed in the source. Describe India's national-level initiatives and outline the specific, smaller-scale actions individuals can take to contribute to water preservation.

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Part 4: Glossary of Key Terms

Term	Definition
Aquifer	A rock layer beneath the Earth's surface that stores water and allows water to flow through it.
Cleavage	The way a mineral breaks along smooth, flat surfaces.
Energy Minerals	A classification of non-metallic minerals used for energy generation, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gases.
Eutrophic	A state of a lake or other body of water being rich in nutrients, which supports a dense plant population. The decomposition of this population can deprive animal life of oxygen.
Ferrous Minerals	Metallic minerals that contain iron, such as chromite, iron ore, and manganese.
Fracture	The way a mineral breaks unevenly along curved or irregular surfaces.
Glacier	A large mass of ice on land that moves slowly over the land under its own weight. Glaciers are a main source of water for perennial Himalayan rivers.
Groundwater	Water found in the cracks and pores in sand, gravel, and rocks below the Earth's surface.
Hardness	A mineral's resistance to being scratched, tested using the Mohs hardness scale.
Himalayan Rivers	River systems that originate from the Himalayas and flow through the Northern Plains of India. Major examples include the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra systems.
Hyper-eutrophic	An advanced state of eutrophication in a lake, characterized by being very nutrient-rich, with frequent and severe nuisance algal blooms and low transparency.
Jal Jeevan Mission	A Government of India initiative launched in 2019 that aims to provide safe drinking water to all rural households by 2024.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan	A Government of India campaign launched in 2019 to promote water conservation and Water Resource Management across all districts of the country.
Luster	The light-reflecting quality of a mineral's surface. It can be metallic (bright), sub-metallic (dull), or non-metallic.
Metallic Minerals	Minerals that are metals, characterized by being hard, conducting electricity and heat, and having a characteristic luster or shine. Examples include iron, gold, silver, and copper.
Mineral	A naturally occurring, solid, inorganic substance with a fixed chemical formula and a specific, orderly atomic arrangement. Over 3,000 known types exist.
Mining	The process of extracting minerals and their ores from the Earth's interior so they can be used.
Non-ferrous Minerals	Metallic minerals that do not contain iron, such as lead, silver, gold, and copper.
Non-metallic Minerals	Minerals that do not contain any metal. Examples include limestone, mica, gypsum, coal, and salt.
Non-renewable Resources	Natural resources that, once finished, cannot be regenerated, such as fossil fuels.
Ore	A mineral or combination of minerals from which a useful substance, such as a metal, can be extracted and used to manufacture a product.
Peninsular Rivers	River systems that emerge mainly from the Western Ghats in India and are typically rain-fed. Major examples include the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.
Renewable Resources	Natural resources that can be generated again and again, such as forests and water.
River Basin	An area of land that drains into a larger river.
Streak	The color of a mineral's powdered form, obtained by rubbing the mineral against a streak plate.
Water Pollution	The contamination of water bodies (rivers, lakes, oceans) caused when pollutants generated by human activities enter the water, making it unsafe for human use and disrupting aquatic ecosystems.
Water Resources	Sources of water that are used for various purposes, including agriculture, industry, household, recreational, and environmental activities.
Watershed	An area of land that drains into a smaller river or stream.
Wetlands	An area where the water table is at, near, or above the land surface long enough during the year to support adapted plant growth.