Deck 13: Mineral and Rock Resources

Question 1

An felsic igneous rock with very large crystals,often enriched in rarer elements is

A) Granitic pegmatite.
B) Porphyry.
C) Kimberlite.
D) Peridotite.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Evaporite deposits are examples of

A) Igneous mineral deposits.
B) Sedimentary mineral deposits.
C) Metamorphic mineral deposits.
D) None of the choices are correct.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Sedimentary iron ores that are layered are called

A) Banded hematite quartzite.
B) Banded iron quartzite.
C) Banded iron formation.
D) Banded metallic formation.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of these are metallic and also serve as ore minerals

A) Pyrite.
B) Galena.
C) Magnetite.
D) Hematite.
E) All the choices are correct.

Question 5

Hydrothermal ore deposits

A) Are formed by deposition of dissolved minerals from hot fluids.
B) Are found only at seafloor spreading ridges.
C) Produce only a few kinds of valuable ores, mostly of precious metals.
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 6

If demand forces metal prices up,all of the following can be expected except

A) Development of lower-grade ore deposits.
B) Significant rapid increases in total world metal resources.
C) Disturbance of more land area for mineral extraction.
D) Reclassification of some resources as reserves.

Question 7

A rock or mineral from which a useful or metal can be extracted is referred to as a(an)

A) Metal.
B) Sub-metallic.
C) Ore.
D) Economic mineral.

Question 8

The minimum concentration factor necessary for profitable mining of an ore deposit depends on each of the following except

A) The metal's average concentration in a deposit.
B) The price of the metal being recovered.
C) The mineral in which the metal of interest occurs.
D) How the metal will be used once it is extracted from ore.

Question 9

Conflict diamonds.

A) Are those mined in countries as a principal source of revenue for weapons for use by rebels in opposition to sitting governments
B) Are those that display two different colors depending on the direction in which they are viewed
C) Are those that represent the primary assets of a country that are surrendered to the victor in a war between nations
D) Are those that have a substantially reduced hardness in one crystal direction in comparison to other crystal directions

Question 10

An igneous rock from which larger,gem-quality diamonds may be mined is

A) Basalt.
B) Rhyolite.
C) Kimberlite.
D) Andesite.

Question 11

Sediment sorting and selective concentration of minerals via currents in a coastal environment that are mechanically concentrated by water are called

A) Hydrothermal deposits.
B) Ore deposits.
C) Placer deposits.
D) Metasomatic deposits.

Question 12

Reserves,by definition,must be all of the following except

A) Identified ore deposits.
B) Exploitable with current technology.
C) Economically profitable to mine at present.
D) All rock types that are likely to host as yet undiscovered ore.

Question 13

Oxygen,silicon and aluminum are the three most abundant chemical elements within earth's crust.Why,then is aluminum recycled?

A) To reduce the consumption of electrical energy relative to that which is needed to extract aluminum from ore
B) Because aluminum is a precious metal
C) Even though aluminum is abundant in the crust, most of it is within seafloor crust and consequently difficult to obtain
D) All of these reasons are true.

Question 14

Ore deposits of dense minerals concentrated by stream action are

A) Evaporates.
B) Placers.
C) Hydrothermal.
D) Metamorphic.

Question 15

Of which of the following does the United States have the best supply of reserves,relative to demand?

A) Iron
B) Aluminum
C) Platinum
D) Zinc

Question 16

Dense minerals,like magnetite and native gold,may be concentrated in a crystallizing magma chamber by

A) Fluids.
B) Gravity.
C) Gases.
D) Porosity.

Question 17

All of the following are mined from evaporite deposits except

A) Halite.
B) Gypsum.
C) Phosphates.
D) Quartz.

Question 18

What rock or mineral resource is used in the greatest quantity?

A) Aluminum
B) Copper
C) Silicon, for silicon chips
D) Crushed rock, sand and gravel

Question 19

All of the following are commonly mined from sulfide ores except

A) Copper.
B) Aluminum.
C) Lead.
D) Zinc.

Question 20

Weathering in tropical climates can produce residual ores rich in

A) Calcite and quartz.
B) Feldspar and mica.
C) Sulfur and sulfide ores.
D) Iron and aluminum.

Question 21

New methods in mineral exploration include

A) Geophysical techniques.
B) Geochemical propecting.
C) Remote sensing.
D) All the choices are correct.

Question 22

Quarrying is a variety of

A) Strip mining.
B) Surface mining.
C) Underground mining.
D) Heap leaching.

Question 23

All of the following are extensively recycled except

A) Platinum.
B) Copper.
C) Manganese.
D) Lead.

Question 24

Most major iron ore deposits are hydrothermal deposits formed early in the earth's history.

Question 25

There are sulfide ores being deposited now at spreading ridges.

Question 26

If demand could be held constant at 2002 levels,many world mineral reserves would still be depleted within decades.

Question 27

Which of the following would be least readily recycled?

A) Copper pipes
B) Aluminum beverage cans
C) Lead from car batteries
D) Chromium from stainless steel fixtures

Question 28

Spoil banks and tailings piles

A) Typically weather very rapidly.
B) Are unsightly but not hazardous.
C) Can be eliminated by putting them back into the underground mines from which they came.
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 29

The United States has no reserves of

A) Iron ore, lead and copper.
B) Chromium, cobalt, manganese and nickel.
C) Tin, bauxite and potash.
D) Gold.

Question 30

The consumption of resources in the United States matchest their production.

Question 31

In a lifetime,an average American citizen will consume __________ pounds of mineral and fuel resources.

A) 3.5 million
B) 450,000
C) 55,000
D) 6,500

Question 32

The United States imports some minerals of which it has ample supplies and production exceeding current demands.

Question 33

Sulfide ore deposits are rare because they formed early in the earth's history,before there was very much oxygen in the atmosphere.

Question 34

When metal prices rise sharply,this spurs immediate development of new mines,which then begin production in a year or two.

Question 35

In the United States,we use many times greater amounts of rock resources,like sand and gravel,than we do of metals like iron and copper.

Question 36

Gold is not now being extracted from seawater.What is the primary reason for it not being extracted?

A) It would be too disruptive to marine life to develop any marine mineral resources.
B) There is no gold in seawater.
C) We don't know how to extract minerals from seawater.
D) It would be too costly and difficult to separate the small amount of gold from the very large amounts of halite and other minerals.

Question 37

The concentration factor of an ore is a measure of its enrichment in a metal of interest,relative to average crustal rock.

Question 38

Abandoned quarries

A) Can be left without reclamation, as their contents are not reactive.
B) Are useful as hazardous waste disposal sites.
B)C., Canada, a beautiful collection of flower gardens, for example, was once a rock quarry.
C) If possible, provide alternative uses post mining. The Butchart Gardens in Victoria,
D) Should be filled with water and used for boating and swimming.

Question 39

Geochemical prospecting involves analyzing all of the following except

A) Soil.
B) Plants.
C) Soil gases.
D) Fish.

Question 40

Whether a given ore deposit is economic depends on the metal concentration,not on the mineral in which that metal occurs.

Question 41

Underground mines do not cause disturbance of the land surface except at the mine entrance,either during or after mining.

Question 42

Wallboard (Sheetrock)is made from gypsum.

Question 43

A problem with substituting plastics for metals,to conserve the metals is that many plastics are made from our limited supply of oil.

Question 44

Some materials such as road salt and phosphorous and potash in fertilizers cannot be recovered.

Question 45

Limestone is the source for Portland cement,the principal binder for concrete on which the construction industry depends.

Question 46

Recycling of steel is relatively difficult because alloys of specific composition may be required for specific applications.

Question 47

Producing new minerals by refining new ores and mining is more energy efficient than recycling.

Question 48

Underground mining is the most hazardous occupation in the United States.

Question 49

The link between plate tectonics and formation of mineral deposits has made the search for new ores more efficient.

Question 50

The success of mine reclamation is often heavily dependent on availability of water.

Question 51

U.S.stockpiling of strategically important minerals may,in the near term,require the country to increase some mineral imports.

Question 52

We have probably already found most of the "easy ores" in accessible parts of the world.