Earth Science 11

Reviewer | First Quarter

ORE MINERALS
b. Dredging
- Dredge is the equipment used for this
Ore - it is a deposit in the Earth’s crust of one or more
type of mining. It uses a boat with
valuable minerals.
specialized mining equipment and it
operates on top of a body of water and
Profitability - this determines an ore value.
lifts up loose material from the bottom
(such as sand and gravel) into the boat
A mineral or rock body containing high concentration
c. Placer Mining
of the required resource may not be considered a
- An ancient method of using water to
good ore if:
extract heavy minerals from placer
● It is too expensive to mine
deposits.
● Too far to transport to a market
- These deposits are a natural
● If the additional costs (labor, mine
concentration of heavy minerals, they
management, and environmental protection)
were slowly washed into streams of
outweigh the potential profit to be made.
water due to weathering.
d. Strip Mining
How are they found?
- This is the removal of overburden (vegetation,
rock, and soil) above a layer of minerals such
Mineral Exploration - It is a complete sequence of
as coal, phosphates, clay, and tar. The layer of
activities which aims to discover deposits of minerals
mineral is then extracted.
and rocks.
Underground Mining - This means extracting ores
● Geologic processes create and concentrate
deep under the Earth’s surface.
minerals that are valuable natural resources.
● Geologists study geological formations and
a. Room and Pillar
then test the physical and chemical properties
- This excavates a room-like structure
of soil and rocks to locate possible ores and
underground to mine minerals.
determine their size and concentration
- Pillars are left behind in intervals
● A concentration of minerals is only called an within the room to support the weight
ore deposit if it is profitable to mine. of the formation above.
- This type is most commonly used for
How are they mined? high grade, small, and deep deposits.
b. Cut and Fill
Surface Mining - This means extracting ores that are
- This method starts from deep beneath
close to the Earth’s surface.
the surface and works its way up.
- Miners excavate a layer of rock starting
a. Open-Pit Mining
beneath the surface and fill it up with
- Also known as opencast mining
waste rock once done with the area,
- The most common method
then they move up the next layer from
- It is a big hole or pit in the ground, the
the starting point.
pit is created with explosives and
drilling.
- Open-pits are called “Quarries” when
they produce building materials.
Earth Science 11
Reviewer | First Quarter

How are they processed for human use? Formation:

PMineral processing - It is the process of extracting ● They are formed through geological
minerals from the ore, refining them, and preparing processes.
these minerals for use. ● They are commonly found in
sedimentary rock deposits.
Primary Steps in Processing Minerals ● The process takes millions of years.

1. Sampling - The removal of a portion which Extraction:

represents a whole needed for the analysis of
this material.
2. Analysis - It is important to evaluate the
valuable component in an ore. This includes
chemical, mineral, and particle size analysis.
3. Comminution - It is the process where the
valuable components of the ore are separated
through crushing and grinding.
4. Concentration - This process involves the
separation of the valuable minerals from the
raw materials.
5. Dewatering - Uses the concentration to
convert it to usable minerals. This involves
filtration and sedimentation of the suspension
and drying off the solid minerals harvested
from this suspension.
● It is obtained through mining operations
● The phosphate-bearing rock is processed to
produce various phosphate fertilizers and
chemicals.
● Its main processing methods include crushing,
grinding, and chemical treatment to separate
the valuable phosphate minerals from the rock.
Importance to Society:
● Agriculture
● Food Production
● Water Treatment
● Industrial Applications
● Environmental Importance

What do we usually use ore minerals for?

1. Extraction 2. TALC
2. Sorting and Processing
3. Refining and Purification - Talc is an odorless, naturally occurring
4. Smelting substance.
5. Conversion to Useful Products - They are of different colors.
6. Stockpiling and Trading - Its texture is very soft.
- It is hydrophobic.

Formation:
Minerals that are Important to our Society
● Reaction
1. PHOSPHATE ● Alteration

- It is a chemical compound that contains the Extraction:

element phosphorus (P) bonded to oxygen (O).
- Phosphate is commonly found in nature and is ● They are mostly found in metamorphic rocks of
essential for various biological and convergent plate boundaries.
environmental processes.
Importance to Society:

● Plastic Industry
● Paper Manufacturing Industry
● Cosmetic Industry
Earth Science 11
Reviewer | First Quarter

3. MAGNETITE Extraction:

- Magnetite is a type of mineral and one of the ● It is done by hand–picking, grinding, etc.
iron ores. It is an iron oxide with the chemical ● It is typically extracted from open-pit mines
formula Fe3O4, which means it contains both using heavy machinery.
iron (Fe) and oxygen (O) ions. Magnetite is
known for its strong magnetic properties and is Importance to Society:
attracted to magnets. It is one of the most
magnetic of all naturally occurring minerals. ● Aluminum production
● Economic impact
Formation: ● Recyclability

● Magnetite is found in igneous, metamorphic,

and sedimentary rocks.
● Magmatic processes 5. HEMATITE
● Hydrothermal processes
● Metamorphic processes - It is one of the most abundant minerals on
● Sedimentary processes Earth's surface and in the shallow crust
● Biogenic processes - It is a common rock-forming mineral found in
sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks
Extraction:
Formation:
● Magnetite requires crushing, screening,
grinding, magnetic separation, filtering and ● It is formed by ageing of lower crystallinity
drying. ferric phases and is common in warm climate
soils.
Importance to Society:
Extraction:
● Magnetite's greatest use is as an important iron
ore for steel manufacture. ● It is commonly obtained in some of the largest
● Iron and Steel production mines in the world; these open-pit mines can
● Electrical and Electronic Devices be hundreds to thousands of feet deep and
several miles across by the time they have been
worked to completion.

4. BAUXITE Importance to Society:

- It is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of ● One of the primary sources of iron ore
aluminum oxide minerals such as gibbsite, ● Steel production
boehmite, and diaspore. ● Pigment production
● Jewelry and decorative items
Formation: ● Abrasive
● Water treatment process
● It forms through the weathering of
aluminum-rich rocks, typically in tropical or
subtropical regions where there is a high level
of rainfall and warm temperatures.
Earth Science 11
Reviewer | First Quarter
FOSSIL FUELS
Fossil
- A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a
dead organism buried under sedimentary rock.
- It can consist of bones, shells, footprints, hair,
DNA and others.
- In the case of fossil fuels, they are usually the
remains of small plants and animals buried
under sedimentary rock, subjected to heat and
pressure, and are turned into fossil fuel.
Fuel
- A fuel is any material that contains a high
amount of energy.
- They can take on many forms, examples range
from solid fuel like coal and wood, to liquid
fuels like diesel.
- By burning fuel, the thermal energy can be
harnessed and converted into mechanical
energy, however, it can also be used for
cooking, warmth or other industrial purposes.
Fossil Fuels
- They are the world’s primary energy source.
- They are natural and finite resources.
- They are considered as non-renewable energy
sources.
Formation of Fossil Fuels
1. It begins with the death of plants and animals,
which then sink to the bottom of the sea or
swamp.
2. Over time, these organic materials get buried
under layers of sediment and other rock.
3. The intense heat and pressure in the earth’s
crust cause these materials to undergo physical
and chemical changes.
4. Over millions of years, this process transforms
the remains into fossil fuels.
5. The type of fossil fuel that is formed - coal, oil,
or natural gas - depends on the combination of
organic material present, how long it is buried,
and the conditions of heat and pressure.
Fossil Fuels Extraction
1. Through the spaces of permeable rock, the oils
move upwards and will be trapped if they reach
the impermeable rock.
2. Oil companies can drill down through the
impermeable rock to get it out.
3. They are then able to turn it into products we
can use, such as petrol and diesel.
4. On the other hand, coal can be extracted from
the Earth through underground mining.
5. Once it has been extracted, it can be used to
fuel power plants for electricity.
Major Types of Fossil Fuels
COAL
- It is a combustible black or dark brown rock
consisting mainly of carbonized plant matter,
found mainly in underground deposits.
- It is the largest source of energy for generating
electricity in the world.
Ranks of Coal
1. Anthracite
- It is often referred to as “hard coal.”
- It contains the highest amount of
carbon out of all ranks (86%-97%).
- Hard, brittle and black lustrous coal
- Uses: Charcoal briquettes and space
heating
2. Bituminous
- It is also known as “soft coal”. Named
after bitumen found in petroleum.
- It has a slightly lower carbon content
than anthracite which is 45-86%
carbon.
- Three types: Smithing Coal, Cannel
Coal, & Coking Coal
3. Subbituminous
- It is about 100 million years old and is
black in color and dull.
- Sub-bituminous coal is a lower grade
of coal that contains 35–45% carbon.
- It has a higher heating value than
lignite.
Earth Science 11
Reviewer | First Quarter

4. Lignite
- Also known as “brown coal” because it
is lighter in color than higher ranks of
coal.
- Has the lowest carbon content out of
all coal ranks (25%-35%) and it has a
high moisture content and crumbly
texture.
- Mainly used in electricity generation.

OIL

- It is formed from the remains of ancient

marine organisms such as plants, algae, and
bacteria.
- It is found in vast underground reservoirs
where ancient seas were located.
- It is extracted with giant drilling machines.
- Crude oil, the raw form of petroleum, can
vary in color from black or dark brown to
yellowish, reddish, tan, or even greenish. It is
used to make gasoline, an important product
in our everyday lives

NATURAL GAS

- Naturally-occurring hydrocarbon gas. It is the

Earth’s cleanest fossil fuel and is odorless and
colorless in its natural state. The major
component is methane, CH4
- Produced from sedimentary rock formation by
forcing chemicals, water, and sand down a well
under high pressure.
- Uses: heating, industry, and transport
Earth Science 11
Reviewer | First Quarter

ENERGY RESOURCES

Geothermal Energy

- Geothermal comes from the Greek words “geo”

(earth) and “therme” (heat).
- It is a type of renewable energy that comes
from the Earth’s core.
-