CLASS 10 GEOGRAPHY 5 MINERALS & ENERGY RESOURCES

MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES

INTRODUCTION

•      Minerals are indispensable part of our lives.

•      Almost everything we use from a tiny pin to a towering building or a big ship, all are made from minerals.

•      Even the food we eat contains minerals.

•      Minerals intake of body – 0.3%

•      In all stages of development, human beings have used minerals for their livelihood, decoration, festivities, religious and ceremonial rites.

•      From the hardest (Diamond) to Softest (Talc)

Why minerals have wide ranging physical & chemical properties?

•      A particular mineral that will be formed from a certain combination of elements depends upon the physical and chemical condition under which the mineral forms.

•      Thus in turn, results in  a wide range of colour, hardness, crystal forms, luster(visual quality) and density that a particular mineral possesses.

MINERALS

•      Minerals are naturally occurring substances that have a definite internal structure.

•      They are defined by Geologists as “homogeneous, naturally occurring substances with a definable internal structure”.

•      They are found in various forms and are used for a variety of purposes.

            E.g., Diamond, limestone, fluoride, Aluminium etc.

•      Experts who study about rocks, their age, formation of minerals and physical and chemical composition. (Geologists)

•      Geographers? Who study about the earth and how human beings interact with it. They study minerals as part of the earth’s crust for a better understanding of land-forms. The distribution of mineral resources and associated economic activities are of interest to geographers.

ROCKS AND ORES

•      Rocks : They are combinations of homogeneous minerals along with impurities.

•      Over 2000 minerals have been identified. Only a few are abundantly found in most of the rocks.

•      Rocks : They are combinations of homogeneous minerals along with impurities.

•      Over 2000 minerals have been identified. Only a few are abundantly found in most of the rocks.

•      Ores : An accumulation of any mineral mixed with other elements.

•      They are the source of minerals. Minerals are extracted from their ores by various processes.

•      The mineral content of the ore must be in sufficient concentration to make its extraction commercially viable.

•      : An accumulation of any mineral mixed with other elements.

•      They are the source of minerals. Minerals are extracted from their ores by various processes.

•      The mineral content of the ore must be in sufficient concentration to make its extraction commercially viable.

CLASSIFICATION OF MINERALS

Conditions to make mining economically viable

•      The mineral content must be in sufficient quantity.

•      Type of formation and structure.

•      Cost of extraction

•      Closeness to market

•      Ease at which mineral is extracted

MODE OF OCCURRENCE OF MINERALS

•      In igneous and metamorphic rocks: Cracks, crevices, faults or joints.

•      The smaller occurrences are called veins or and the larger are called lodes. E.g., Zinc, copper and lead.

•      In sedimentary rocks: Beds and layers as a result of deposition and accumulation and concentration in horizontal strata.

•      E.g., Coal, iron, gypsum and sodium.

•      Decomposition of surface rocks: And removal of soluble constituents leaves a residual mass of weathered material containing ores.

•      E.g., Bauxite.

•      Alluvial deposits: Formed in sands of valley floors and base of hills.  Also called placer deposits. E.g., Gold, silver, tin and platinum which are not corroded (decomposed/perished) by water.

•      In oceans: Ocean water contain vast quantities of minerals, but diffused (spread out) to be of economic significance. E.g., Common Salt, magnesium, bromine etc. Ocean beds contain manganese nodules.

DIVERSITY IN MINERAL RESORUCES

•      Peninsular rocks contain most of the resources of coal, metallic minerals, mica and many other non-metallic minerals.

•      Sedimentary rocks on the western and eastern flanks of peninsula, in Gujarat and Assam have petroleum deposits.

•      Rajasthan with the rock systems of the peninsula has reserves of many non-ferrous minerals.

•      The vast alluvial plains of north India are almost devoid (lacking) of economic minerals.

MINE

•      It is a large area having an abundant quantity of mineral deposits that can be easily and economically extracted.

•      Rat-Hole Mining: Mining in the form of a long narrow tunnel done by family members. Coal, limestone, dolomite..

•      Common in Meghalaya. Coal mining in Jowai and Cherapunjee.

FERROUS MINERALS

•      Account for about ¾ of the total value of production of metallic minerals.

•      Provide a strong base for the development of metallurgical industries.

•      IRON ORE: Basic mineral and backbone of industrial development. India is rich in good quality iron ores.

•      Magnetite: Finest iron ore with iron content of 70% . They have excellent magnetic qualities and are mainly used in the electrical industry.

•      Hematite: Most important industrial iron ore in terms of quantity used, but has lower iron contents of 50-60%.

MAJOR IRON-ORE BELT IN INDIA

FERROUS MINERALS – MANGANESE

•      Mainly used in manufacturing of

   1. Steel

   2. Bleaching powder

   3. Insecticides

   4 Paints

•      Nearly 10 kg of Manganese is required to manufacture 1 ton of steel

•      Largest producer: Orissa (1/3 of country’s production in 2000-01)

NON-FERROUS MINERALS

•      India is not rich in non-ferrous minerals.

•      However, these minerals, which include copper, bauxite, lead, zinc and gold play a vital role in a number of metallurgical, engineering and electrical industries.

NON-FERROUS MINERALS – COPPER

•      India is deficient in copper.

•      Malleable, ductile and a good conductor of electricity.

•      Used in- Electrical cables, Electronics and Chemical industries

•      Largest producer: Balaghat mines in Madhya Pradesh produce 52% of India’s copper.

•      Khetri in Rajasthan and Singhbhum in Jharkhand are also important copper producing areas.

•      NON-FERROUS MINERALS – BAUXITE

•      An ore of aluminium. (Bauxite-Alumina-Aluminium)

•      Formed by the decomposition of a wide variety of rocks rich in aluminium silicates.

•      Properties: Aluminium combines the strength of metals such as iron with extreme lightness and also good conductivity and malleability.

•      Deposits: Found in Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills and the plateau region of Bilaspur-Katni.

•      Largest producer: Orissa (45% of total bauxite production)

•      Koraput in Orissa has the largest reserve of bauxite in the country.

NON-METALLIC MINERALS - MICA

•      Made of a series of plates or leaves

•      It splits into thin sheets.

•      Colours: It can be black, green, red, yellow or brown in colour.

•      Properties: It has excellent di-electric strength, low power loss, good insulation and resistance to high voltage.

•      Usage: Used in electric and electronics industry.

•      Deposits: Found in Koderma, Gaya and Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), Ajmer (Rajasthan), Nellore (Andhra Pradesh)

ROCK MINERALS – LIMESTONE

•      Limestone

•      Found in association with rocks composed of calcium carbonates or calcium and magnesium carbonates.

•      Found in sedimentary rocks.

•      Used as raw material in Cement industry, smelting iron ore in the blast furnaces

•      Largest producers are Andhra Pradesh, M.P. and Rajasthan.

HAZARDS OF MINING

•      Dust and fumes inhaled by miners make them vulnerable to Pulmonary diseases.

•      Risk of collapsing mine roofs, inundation and fires in coal mines a serious threat to miners.

•      Mining contaminates nearby water sources owing to dumping of waste and slurry.

•      Land degradation is caused as land is dug deep for mining. This makes it unsuitable for any further use after the mining site is abandoned.

SOLUTIONS

•      Stricter safety regulations and implementations of environmental laws to prevent mining from turning into a killer industry.

•      High technology should be evolved to allow use of low grade ores at low costs.

•      Recycling of metals and minerals.

•      Sustainable management and resource planning.

CONSERVATION OF MINERALS

Conservation of minerals is necessary because

q The total volume of workable mineral deposits is an insignificant fraction, ie. 1% of the Earth’s crust.

q We are rapidly consuming mineral resources, and they take millions of years to be formed.

q    Mineral formation is an extremely slow process. Hence, rate of consumption should not overshoot the rate of replenishment.

q Only one percent of the total mineral deposits are accessible.

q Minerals are a limited resource and will get exhausted if not used judicially.

ENERGY RESOURCES

•      Among the conventional sources, firewood, cattle dung cake are used in rural India, and it is estimated that 70% of energy requirement in rural Indian households is met by these two.

•      Use of firewood and cattle dung cake is discouraged due to decreasing forest area and increased pollution.

•      Using dung cake consumes most valuable manure which could be used in agriculture.

COAL

Most abundantly available fossil fuel in India.

v Used for power generation, to supply energy to industry as well as domestic needs.

v Formation: Coal is formed due to the compression of plant materials over millions of years.

v Depending on the degrees on compression and the depth and the time of burial, coal is classified as:

•      Peat: Decaying plants in swamps produce peat. Has a low carbon and high moisture contents and low heating capacity.

•      Lignite: Low grade brown coal. It is soft with high moisture content. Found in Nevyeli in Tamil Nadu. Used for generation of electricity. 25-30% Carbon.

•      Bituminous: Coal that has been buried deep and subjected to increased temperature. Most popularly used coal for commercial uses. Used in smelting iron in blast furnaces. 50-80% Carbon

•      Anthracite: Highest quality coal. 97% Carbon. 

· Found in Damodar valley (West Bengal, Jharkhand).

· Jharia, Raniganj and Bokaro are important coal fields.

· Coal is also found in Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh etc.

COAL – FORMATION

•      Gondwana Coal: 200 million years in age.

•      Reserves: Damodar valley (WB, Jharkhand), Jharia, Raniganj), Bokaro, Godavari, Son, Mahandi and Wardha valleys.

•      Mainly Metalurgical coal.

•      Tertiary Deposits: 55 million years in age.

•      Reserves: North-eastern states or Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

•      Coal is a bulky material which loses weight on use as it turns to ash. Heavy industries and thermal power stations are located near coalfields.

•      (Anticline-A fold strata sloping downwards on each side).

PETROLEUM

Next major energy source in India after coal.

            Provides fuel for heat and lighting, lubricants for machinery and raw materials for a number of manufacturing industries.

            Petroleum refineries act as a nodal industry for synthetic textile, fertilizer and numerous chemical industries.

Found in the rocks of tertiary age.(55 million years in age)

· 63% petroleum comes from Mumbai High.

·18% from Gujarat’s Ankleshwar oil field.

· 16% from Assam’s Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moram–Hugrijan oil fields.

· Digboi (Assam) is the oldest oil field of India.

NATURAL GAS

Clean energy resources found in association with or without petroleum

Used as a source of energy as well as an industrial raw material in the petrochemical industry.

Environment friendly because of low CO2 emissions.

·Used as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) in vehicles as new fuel

·Found in Krishna–Godavari basin

.Reserves of Mumbai High and allied fields,   Gulf of Cambay,  Andaman and Nicobar Islands

·Transported through pipelines.

· Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur is the longest (1700 km) pipeline that transports natural gas from Hazira in Gujarat to Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh.

ELECTRICITY

•      Hydroelectricity: Generated by the force of water.

•      Renewable source of energy

            BhakraNangal, Damodar valley Corporation, the Kopili Hydel projects generate hydroelectricity.

Thermal Electricity: Generated by using coal, petroleum and natural gas.

•      Non-renewable source of energy

•      Over 310 thermal power plants in India.

NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY

•      The growing consumption of energy has resulted in the country becoming increasingly dependent on fossil fuels.

•      Rising prices oil and gas and their potential shortages have raised uncertainties about the security of energy supply in future.

•      Increased use of fossil fuels also causes serious environmental problems.

NUCLEAR ENERGY

Obtained from the nuclear fission of radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium.

· Uranium and thorium are found in Jharkhand, Aravalli  ranges of Rajasthan and the monozite sands of Kerala is also rich in Thorium.

· India has six nuclear power stations. These are

Ø     Rawatbhata (Rajasthan)

Ø     Naraura (Uttar Pradesh)

Ø     Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu) Kudamkulam

Ø     Tarapore (Maharashtra)

Ø     Kaiga (Karnataka)

Ø     Kakrapar (Gujarat)

SOLAR ENERGY

India is a tropical country and has enormous potential for solar power.

· Solar energy can be converted into electrical energy by using photo-voltaic technology.

· Largest solar plant in India: Madhapur (Gujarat)

· Maximum potential: Rajasthan and Gujarat

. Big solar power plants have been established in rural and remote areas of India which will minimize the dependence of rural households on firewood and dung cake and in turn will contribute environmental conservation and adequate supply of manure in agriculture.

WIND ENERGY

India has greatest potential of wind power.

· Largest wind farm cluster: Tamil Nadu (NAGERCOIL to MADURAI)

· Nagacoil and Jaisalmer have large wind farms.

· Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep etc. have huge potential for tapping wind energy.

BIOGAS

Ø Produced from farm waste, animal and human waste.

Ø Much effective than firewood, dung cakes and kerosene.

Ø Shrubs, farm waste, animal and human waste used.

Ø Used mainly for domestic consumption in rural areas.

Ø Gobar gas plants are set up in rural areas which decompose organic waste and produce gas as well as provide manure for agricultural fields.

Ø These provide twin benefits to the farmer in the form of energy and improved quality of manure.

TIDAL ENERGY

•      Energy of the oceanic tides is used for producing electricity.

•      Floodgate dams are built across inlets. During high tide, water flows into the inlet and gets trapped when the gate is closed. When the tide recedes, the water is sent via a pipe that carries it through a power generating  turbine back to the sea to generate electricity.

•      Gulf of Khambat, Gulf of Kuchchh (Gujarat), Gangetic Delta in Sunderban region in WB has great potentials for tidal energy.

GEO-THERMAL ENERGY

It is the energy produced by using internal heat of the Earth.

· The hot springs in India are ideal sources for the generation of geothermal energy.

· Parvati Valley in Manikaran (H.P.) and Puga valley (Ladakh) have geo-thermal power projects.

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