Simon Gil L.

Sotto Environmental Science - BSA 2E

20181107266 November 30, 2022

M6. Activity 1

1. Coal is one of the natural resources that is mined and used for energy purposes.
Explain the process how this is mined, the effect and the mitigation procedures to be
done.
Coal extraction can be done either through surface mining or underground mining.
Surface mining is used when coals are located near the surface. In this method, miners
start the mining process by removing layers of rock and dirt on top to expose the coal
seams. Exposing coal seams can be done by removing massive layers or strips through
explosives (strip mining), or creating a quarry by digging a hole in the mining area (open-
pit mining), or entirely removing the trees, rocks, and topsoil of the summit of a mountain
(mountaintop removal mining). Once coal seam is exposed, it is drilled, fractured, and
systematically excavated. On the other hand, underground mining is a procedure that
extracts coal from a depth below the surface of the Earth. This method of mining creates
deep tunnels that miners use to access coal beds. Regardless of the mining method used,
mining coals always disturb and tamper the environmental conditions on the area.
Mining coals poses significant harmful effects on the environment. Generally,
mining disturbs the land, erodes soils, produce large amounts of solid wastes, and
pollutes water, air, and soil. Mining also destroys ecosystems because habitats are
destroyed and vegetation are hindered from growing. The local population are also
endangered by the risk of landslides and toxic compounds leaking into the air, aquifers,
and water tables. In order to mitigate these effects, one of the procedures used is
reclamation which entails the re-establishment of viable soils and vegetation at a mine
site. Furthermore, carefully pre-planning projects, implementing pollution control
measures, monitoring effects of mining and rehabilitating mined areas minimizes the
impact of mining.

2. Fossil fuels were formed since the Carboniferous period. Describe its formation and
uses to the present times.

Fossil fuels are energy sources, such as coal, natural gas, and oil, formed from
decayed organic matter buried deep underground for millions of years. The currently
harvested fossil fuels started forming hundreds of years ago from animals and plants that
decayed and formed layers at the bottom of swamps or oceans. Eventually, layers of
water and soil accumulated gradually on top of the decomposing remains of organisms
burying them deeper and deeper overtime. As the layers build up, fossil materials were
subjected to increasing heat and pressure causing them to undergo physical and
chemical changes, and as a result, transform them into either coal, natural gas, or oil.
Currently, fossil fuels are the main source of energy in the world and are essential for
human survival and daily living. They are widely utilized to provide electricity, power
households, as a fuel for vehicles, for cooking at home, in industrial applications to
produce common products like computers, cosmetics, paint, and household appliances,
and many more.

3. How does human activities induce the occurrence of more earthquakes? Explain.

Earthquakes are not caused only by natural factors because, unexpectedly,

humans also contribute to the occurrence of more seismic activities. Activities such as
mining, dam building, and fracking for oil and natural gas are the most common human
causes of earthquakes. First, mining causes earthquakes because removal of massive
amounts of material from the earth can cause instability, leading to sudden collapses that
trigger earthquakes. Second, large reservoirs of water, known as dams, can trigger
earthquakes as stress builds up in the ground caused by the weight of the water on top
of it. Reservoirs can also cause earthquakes as increased groundwater pore pressure
makes the rock under the reservoir weaker. Lastly, quakes are also brought on by the
fracking process' disposal of waste water. Sand, water, and chemicals were employed to
release hydrocarbons from rock, and the result was this waste water. Its tremendous
pressure can lubricate preexisting faults, break rocks, and induce earthquakes. Overall,
human activities induce more earthquakes because they are disturbing the natural
balance of the land to such an extent that it is shifting.

4. Choose 2 geological hazards and describe each.

Earthquakes and tsunamis are among the examples of adverse geologic

conditions capable of causing damage or loss of property or life, or also known as
geological hazards. Earthquakes are sudden movements of the Earth’s crust that occur
along faults where one rock mass slides past another. It is caused by stresses in the
Earth’s interior which built up by the movement of the Earth’s crustal plates relative to one
another. If these stresses become too large then a fracture occurs, whereby the rock
masses suddenly jerkily move past each other. The shaking caused by the seismic waves
can cause buildings to collapse, structural damage, fire, and loss of lives. Meanwhile,
tsunamis are series of large and powerful waves, sometimes reaching heights of over
100 feet. These are cause by powerful earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions
under the ocean floor. The earthquake pushes a large volume of water to the surface,
creating waves. Tsunamis attack coastlines causing devastating property damage, large
loss of human life, and changes physical landscape.
5. Mention two mining techniques and explain the hazards it produces.

There are several mining techniques used to extract minerals from the Earth’s
crust and, among them, are mountaintop removal mining and underground mining.
Mountaintop Removal mining is one of the types of surface mining where the
entire summit of a mountain is stripped of its rocks, trees, and topsoil to access coal beds.
Materials removed from the mountain top are crushed and poured into neighboring river
valleys. The hazards produced by mountaintop removal is radical and severe. Toxic
heavy metals from the rubble dumped into streams can pollute waterways and poison
drinking water. It also releases toxins in the air which increase risks of cancer.
Furthermore, it destroys beautiful, biodiverse forests and wildlife habitat, increases the
risk of flooding, and wipes out entire communities. On the other hand, underground
mining creates tunnels deep beneath the Earth’s surface that miners use to access coal
beds. The dangers of underground mining are serious as it can cause underground
explosions, suffocation from lack of oxygen, or exposure to toxic gases. In addition,
underground mining leave behind toxic residues which can pollute local water supplies.

II. Terminologies

TERMS DEFINITION

The hot and thick solid layer of silicate rock that makes up the
Mantle majority of the earth's volume located between the Earth’s crust
and the molten iron core.
The process whereby rocks are broken down by chemical and
physical forces; sediments are moved by wind, water and
Rock Cycle
gravity, sedimented and reformed into rock, and then crushed,
folded, melted and recrystallized into new forms.
Series of huge waves generated by a large and sudden
Tsunami displacement of the ocean, usually triggered by under-the-
water earthquake, landslides, or volcanic eruptions.

Mass down-slope movement of geologic materials from one

Mass Wasting place to another such as landslides, avalanches or simple
slumping.

The deposition of rock fragments, soil, organic matter, or

Sedimentation dissolved material that has been eroded, that is, has been
transported by water, wind, ice, or gravity.
 Huge blocks of the earth’s crust that slide around slowly, pulling
Tectonic Plates apart to open new ocean basins or crashing ponderously into
each other to create new, larger landmasses.

A boundary where two tectonic plates collide, and because of

Subduction Zone
differences in density, one dives beneath the other.

A long line of sea-floor mountains where new ocean crust is

Mid-ocean Ridges
formed by volcanic activity along a divergent boundary.

Pre-existing rock, either igneous or sedimentary, that have

Metamorphic been substantially changed after being subjected to high heat,
Rocks high pressure, hot mineral-rich fluids or, more commonly, some
combination of these factors.
A naturally occurring, inorganic, solid element or compound
Mineral with a definite chemical composition and regular internal crystal
structure.