Earth Resources and Environmental Impacts

Earth Resources and Environmental Impacts uses everyday examples and current issues to help readers understand how mineral, water and energy resources – and the impacts of their use and extraction – affect their daily lives. A historical perspective makes the material in this text fascinating by showing readers that the earth’s resources have always been fundamental to society, even as far back as the Stone Age. Environmental impacts and sustainable use of energy and mineral resources are emphasized. With the increase of public interest surrounding environmental impacts, readers will appreciate the knowledge gained from this text.

Preface vii

Part 1 Earth Systems and Earth Materials

1 Introduction 2

2 Earth-System Science 31

3 Earth Materials I—Minerals 63

4 Earth Materials II—Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic Rocks 98

Part 2 Mineral Resources

5 Ore Deposits and Mineral Exploration 132

6 Abundant and Scarce Metal Resources 167

7 Nonmetals and Industrial Minerals 211

8 Environmental Impacts of Metal Resources 248

Part 3 Energy Resources

9 Energy Perspectives 274

10 Carbon-Based Energy Resources 293

11 Environmental Impacts of Carbon-Based Energy 346

12 Noncarbon-Based Energy Resources 383

13 Environmental Impacts of Noncarbon-Based Energy 430

Part 4 Freshwater Resources

14 Water Resources 464

15 Environmental Impacts on Water Resources 506

Index 529

Kieran O'Hara's research interests are in the areas of structural geology and geochemistry. Over the past several years research has focused on frictional heating processes during earthquakes and the effects it has on the rock record. This work centers on the geochemical and structural study of pseudotachylytes (frictional melts), and also on the effect of frictional heating on coal. A novel technique (O'Hara, 2004) has been developed using vitrinite reflectance in coal to estimate the paleo-stress on ancient seismogenic faults. A second area of interest is in ductile shear zones, especially the geochemical and finite strain changes in continental mylonite zones in the northern and southern Appalachians. Fluid inclusion research in tectonically deformed terranes is also a topic of current research (O'Hara and Becker, 2004).