Deck 20: Human Use of the Earths Resources Appendices Glossary

Question 1

Methane hydrate is stable today under which one of the following conditions?

A) Low temperature and high pressure.
B) Both high temperature and high pressure.
C) Both low temperature and low pressure.
D) High temperature and low pressure.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements correctly differentiates between passive and active solar energy?

A) Passive solar energy heats areas by natural radiation, conduction, and convection, while active solar energy heats areas by the circulation of solar- heated water.
B) Passive solar energy can be used in areas where there is abundant sunshine, while active solar energy is transported from sunnier regions to regions receiving very little sunshine.
C) Passive solar energy is used to generate heat, while active solar energy is used to generate electricity.
D) Passive solar energy is used for stationary purposes, such as the heating of a building, while active solar energy is used for transportable purposes, such as running an electric car.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

All of the following damaging effects result from the widespread use of fossil fuels EXCEPT:

A) excess radiation.
B) global warming.
C) massive oil spills.
D) acid rain.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

All of the following nations possess a wealth of natural resources EXCEPT:

A) Japan.
B) Russia.
C) Canada.
D) The United States.

Question 5

The reason Canada can exploit oil sand profitably while most other countries cannot is that:

A) Canadian technology for extracting petroleum products from oil sand is the best in the world.
B) Canadian oil sand deposits are very near the surface of the Earth, making mining less expensive.
C) Canadian oil sand contains bitumen rather than kerogen.
D) the price of labor in Canada is well below that of other countries.

Question 6

The Earth's most abundant fossil fuel is:

A) kerogen.
B) natural gas.
C) coal.
D) petroleum.

Question 7

All of the following are considered renewable energy sources EXCEPT:

A) hydroelectric energy.
B) biomass.
C) geothermal energy.
D) nuclear energy.

Question 8

Peat and various grades of coal are categorized primarily by:

A) increasing hardness.
B) increasing carbon and water content.
C) decreasing molecular size, as carbon molecules break down.
D) color scales, from light brown through jet black.

Question 9

During the Persian Gulf War of 1991, which of the following became unavailable as a resource?

A) Appalachian coal.
B) Canadian oil sand.
C) Western states oil shale.
D) Some Middle East oil.

Question 10

Hydroelectric power produces all of the following detrimental effects EXCEPT:

A) water run through turbines becomes excessively hot.
B) reservoir waters flood natural habitats.
C) reservoir traps sediment that would replenish beaches.
D) river waters below the dam erode excessively.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about the historic use of petroleum is true?

A) The first modern use of petroleum was the use of natural gas in street lights.
B) Petroleum has been used by humans for about 3000 years.
C) The ancient Babylonians used crude oil for making fire arrows for warfare.
D) The first true oil well began pumping in Pennsylvania during the 1850s.

Question 12

All of the following are processes that form metal- rich deposits at or near plate boundaries EXCEPT:

A) hot, hydrothermal solutions circulate through oceanic rocks.
B) plate collisions thrust metal- rich, sea- floor rocks above sea level.
C) metal- rich magmas develop above the subducting plate.
D) hot, metal- rich lavas are erupted along transform faults.

Question 13

The use of nuclear energy is not as widespread as the government once expected for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:

A) the problem of nuclear waste disposal.
B) the potential for theft of weapons- grade plutonium.
C) a shortage of uranium.
D) reactor safety problems.

Question 14

An increase in carbon dioxide concentrations could produce all of the following effects EXCEPT:

A) a worldwide drop in sea level.
B) drought in many regions.
C) melting of the world's ice sheets.
D) desertification in some regions.

Question 15

Geologists believe that the world's remaining recoverable supply of crude oil will last approximately:

A) 10 to 20 years.
B) 25 to 50 years.
C) 50 to 100 years.
D) 100 to 200 years.

Question 16

Which of the following resources do we derive most of our energy from?

A) Solar energy.
B) Water power.
C) Fossil fuels.
D) Wind power.

Question 17

The reason we do not yet use nuclear fusion as a common energy source is:

A) it is still theoretical, and has not yet been achieved.
B) a practical source of fuel has not been found.
C) the process requires more energy than it produces.
D) a means has not been found to control the nuclear reactions on a large scale.

Question 18

The primary difference between resources and reserves is that:

A) resources still remain in the ground, while reserves have been mined and are in storage.
B) resources exist but recovery is not currently profitable; reserves can be extracted for profit.
C) resources refer to all available useful materials, while reserves refer only to available fossil fuels.
D) resources are materials currently available to the public, while reserves remain in the ground for future use.

Question 19

Oil shale contains kerogen rather than oil because:

A) it was never buried deeply enough to raise its temperature to that required to produce oil.
B) shale is not permeable enough to allow the kerogen to move freely through the rock.
C) there has not been sufficient time for further breakdown of the large kerogen molecules.
D) the organisms required to produce oil were never deposited within the shale.

Question 20

Which of the following statements concerning tidal power is NOT true?

A) Tidal power is ecologically disruptive.
B) Tidal power requires a tidal range of at least 8 meters within a narrow bay or inlet, and is therefore not likely to become a dominant energy source.
C) Although tidal power is not utilized in the United States, there are areas where development could occur.
D) Electricity is produced only during its release at low tides.

Question 21

Petroleum originates from the accumulation and decomposition of:

A) swamp vegetation.
B) marine microorganisms.
C) marine shellfish.
D) animals such as dinosaurs.

Question 22

All of the following statements concerning wind power are true EXCEPT:

A) wind power is most cost- effective when used to meet small- scale energy needs.
B) wind is such a common occurrence that most states in North America could supplement other sources of energy with wind farms.
C) densely populated areas have difficulty finding sufficient land on which to construct wind farms.
D) presently, California's government harvests up to 8% of the state's electricity from windfarms.

Question 23

Coal typically occurs as:

A) large massive outcrops.
B) buried masses within depressions that resulted from ancient swamp basins.
C) layers, alternating with detrital sedimentary rocks.
D) nodules within sedimentary rock strata.

Question 24

Aluminum is concentrated mainly by:

A) secondary enrichment processes.
B) igneous processes.
C) sedimentary processes.
D) hydrothermal processes.

Question 25

The principal difference between a petroleum source rock and a reservoir rock is:

A) depth.
B) composition.
C) permeability.
D) one is marine and the other is terrestrial.

Question 26

Acid rain is probably not a major environmental problem in regions underlain by:

A) limestone, as in much of the Mid- western United States.
B) granite, as in much of New England.
C) gneiss, as in much of the Carolinas.
D) basalt, as in much of the Northwestern United States.

Question 27

All of the following represent nonrenewable natural resources EXCEPT:

A) coal.
B) soil.
C) oil shale.
D) natural gas.

Question 28

Alloys are:

A) extracted from rocks by smelting.
B) metal mixtures combined in their molten state.
C) native metals with impurities.
D) metal products that were first utilized about 9000 years ago.

Question 29

Coal originates from the accumulation and decomposition of:

A) marine shellfish.
B) animals such as dinosaurs.
C) land plants.
D) marine microorganisms.

Question 30

Removal of methane hydrate could cause all of the following EXCEPT:

A) a new ice age.
B) undersea landslides.
C) a runaway greenhouse effect.
D) tsunamis.

Question 31

The most pronounced acid rain damage occurs where, in reference to major industrial regions?

A) Downwind of the source.
B) At lower elevations compared to the source, wind direction is not a factor.
C) Upwind of the source.
D) Locations close to the source, wind direction is not a factor.

Question 32

All of the following statements support fusion as the answer to our energy problems EXCEPT:

A) the process is not yet economically feasible.
B) hydrogen, the principal fuel, is abundant.
C) the fusion process releases an enormous amount of energy.
D) helium, the principal product of fusion, is harmless.

Question 33

Which of the following statements concerning nonmetals for use in agriculture and industry is NOT true?

A) Phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur are all mined for use in agriculture.
B) Pure quartz sand is the prime ingredient in the production of glass.
C) Asbestos, used because it is inflammable, is mined from shallow marine sedimentary deposits.
D) Principal sources of sulfur include the mineral pyrite and the mineral gypsum, while the principal source of potassium is evaporite deposits.

Question 34

Which one of the following statements correctly describes a photovoltaic cell?

A) An array of mirrors reflects sunlight onto a large water tower, heating the water to produce steam.
B) Water- filled, roof- mounted panels with black linings absorb maximum sunlight.
C) Sunlight passes through window glass and heats objects within a room.
D) Thin wafers of metal- coated silicon absorb sunlight and generate an electric current.

Question 35

All of the following statements concerning biomass as a fuel source are true EXCEPT:

A) using trash to fuel electrical generators can provide waste disposal as well as produce energy.
B) grain alcohol is used as an additive to gasoline.
C) methane gas is produced by drying and compressing wood chips.
D) in North America, more homes are heated with wood than with electricity supplied by nuclear power plants.

Question 36

In developing countries, approximately what percentage of cooking and heating energy is provided by biomass?

A) 35%.
B) 55%.
C) 70%.
D) 85%.

Question 37

The main drawback of geothermal energy is that:

A) heat- resistant pipe materials through which magma can be circulated are extremely expensive.
B) utilization of this energy is limited to currently or recently active plate margins and hot spots.
C) it may be used for heating, but is not a reliable source for production of electricity.
D) geothermal heat sources are buried beneath nearly impenetrable rock.

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT one of the differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?

A) Nuclear fission uses uranium atoms, while nuclear fusion uses hydrogen atoms.
B) Most modern reactors use nuclear fission rather than nuclear fusion.
C) In nuclear fusion, atom nuclei are split, while in nuclear fission, atom nuclei are joined.
D) Nuclear fusion has a greater potential than nuclear fission.

Question 39

Primary and secondary recovery methods generally obtain only about how much of the oil that is actually in the ground?

A) less than 1/3.
B) 1/3 to 1/2.
C) 99%.
D) 2/3.

Question 40

The primary difference between renewable and nonrenewable natural resources is that:

A) renewable resources can be recycled, but nonrenewable resources cannot.
B) renewable resources are replenished over a short time, while nonrenewable resources are finite or are replenished only over long periods of time.
C) renewable resources are primarily mineral resources, while nonrenewable resources are mostly energy resources.
D) at any point in time there is an infinite supply of all renewable resources, but nonrenewable sources must be replenished over time.

Question 41

Briefly discuss the processes used in extracting petroleum from oil reserves.

Question 42

List three nonmetal building materials and their principal uses.

Question 43

Oil spills can be contained by which of the following methods?

A) Burning oil on the water surface.
B) Consumption by oil- eating bacteria.
C) Utilizing floating barriers to trap the oil.
D) All of the above.

Question 44

All of the following generate acidic groundwater from mining tailings EXCEPT:

A) infiltration of rain through mine tailings.
B) contact of groundwater with ore in a mining pit.
C) infiltration of acid rain into a mine.
D) surface- water runoff from waste piles.

Question 45

What is the origin of petroleum?

Question 46

What is methane hydrate, and why does its exploitation represent a major potential environmental threat?

Question 47

Which one of the following wind characteristics is essential for practical application of wind power?

A) Wind must blow constantly.
B) Wind must blow from a constant direction.
C) Wind must blow forcefully.
D) All of the above.

Question 48

Placer deposits of metals are formed by:

A) sedimentary processes.
B) hydrothermal processes.
C) metamorphic processes.
D) igneous processes.

Question 49

The correct sequence of formation from decaying swamp plants to the highest grade of coal is:

A) plants, peat, bituminous, anthracite, lignite.
B) plants, lignite, bituminous, peat, anthracite.
C) plants, peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite.
D) plants, lignite, peat, anthracite, bituminous.

Question 50

Discuss the formation and mining locations of phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur, all of which are nonmetal minerals used in agriculture.

Question 51

What is the waste produced when hydrogen is the fuel source?

A) Water.
B) Methane.
C) Carbon dioxide.
D) Hydrogen sulfide.

Question 52

List and briefly describe three methods by which we will likely meet future mineral resource needs.

Question 53

Silica- rich mineral veins bearing productive gold and silver mines are produced by:

A) secondary enrichment processes.
B) hydrothermal processes.
C) igneous processes.
D) sedimentary processes.

Question 54

What are the environmental problems associated with the use of fossil fuels?

Question 55

Why does the United States not exploit its vast deposits of oil shale?

Question 56

Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of nuclear fusion.

Question 57

How do nuclear reactors operate?

Question 58

At current rates of consumption, the U.S. oil supply, supplemented by imports, will last how long?

A) 3 years.
B) 30 years.
C) 300 years.
D) 3000 years.