RESOURCES

Water, Soil, and Minerals

Presented By:

Sandrine Nattkemper - Shary Trent - Travis Giannini Aly Shimp - Heather Doyle - Bryan Gronemeier

Our Objectives

We will describe the processes relating to… Water Soil Minerals We will also consider… Potential adverse environmental impacts due to the use of current and future resources

What is a Resource?

  A material source of fresh water, a mineral deposit, or other substances that occurs in a natural state and has economic value.

The word resource was derived from the Latin word: resurgere, meaning: to rise

Conditional Resources

 Sub-economic Resources  Hypothetical Resources  Speculative Resources Now let’s talk about

Water



Water as a Resource

Why is water important?

• All animals including humans need fresh water to survive.

• At a basic level, everything we eat has some water in it.

FOOD

almonds chicken French fries hamburger lettuce milk rice steak tomatoes watermelon

# Gallons to create a single serving

12 408 6 1303 6 65 36 2607 3 100

Where do we find fresh water ?

Lakes Rivers Snow Pack Icebergs These sources are commonly known as

Surface Water…

Another source of fresh water is found underground… •Groundwater is where most of our fresh water is withdrawn. Sub-Surface Aquifers/Reservoirs •Confined •Unconfined – Tends to be the most polluted… The filling of Aquifers are influenced by •Porosity •Permeability

http://www.tol.bc.ca/files/web_images/engineering/environment/key%20topics/groundwater/gwf011.jpg

If the total supply of water on the planet war represented by a fifty-five gallon drum, then;

-53 Gallon -1 pint -12 ounces -1 Gallon -12 ounces 1 pint

Once the resource of Water is located...

It’s uses are then categorized.

  Consumptive Use  No Re-Charge Non-Consumptive Use  Artificial + Natural Recharge

Water use in the United States:



48% - Thermoelectric power

 34% - Irrigation (water for growing crops, golf courses, etc.)  11% - Public Supply (water delivered to our homes and businesses by water departments)  5% - Industrial – (Manufacturing, making of goods, etc.)   2.9% Commercial – (restaurants, pizza houses, ice-cream parlors, etc… Domestic (drinking water, bathing, preparing food, etc.)

So, If we take the Water from the ground and do not replace it… What can occur?

 Sinkholes

http://earth.geol.ksu.edu/sgao/g100tu/plots/1112_02_sinkhole.jpg

www.ufrsd.net/StaffWWW/StefanL/Geology/ground/sinkhole.jpg

Not Good…

As the world population increases.

So does the demand for this resource.

The evidence suggests resource shortages for the future as well as other hazardous events like sinkholes and/or subsidence.

What can we do… ?

Practice Conservation

Limit water waste in the home.

  Water lawns in the morning.

Avoid traditional lawns and lean towards ground covering.

Change irrigation habits.

  Shifting crops where rain is abundant.

Reduce water transfer through open ditches to limit evaporation.

Interbasin Transfer of Surface Water  Movement of water from one region to another.

Desalination   Filtration Distillation Purification to make water usable. (5x more costly) Now let’s talk about

Soil



What is Soil ?

“Engineers call soil anything they can move without blasting.”—Jeff Tolhurst

What We Use Soil For

       Agriculture Natural and semi-natural vegetation Microscopic organisms domain Habitat Water control and distribution Building and construction Archeology

Problems



Erosion



The dislodgement of soil particles



Causes



Precipitation

     

Wind Poor farming practices Off-road vehicles Strip mining Over-active urbanization Commercial development

Problems Continued

 

Topsoil – the rich organic top layer- is lost, which leads to reduced ability to farm Sediment deposition run off water that carries particles into existing bodies of water, which leads to loss of water quality



Sediment is currently classified as a pollutant

  

750 million tons enters lakes and streams Decreases water quality and may harm wildlife – even worse when sediment contains toxic residue from agricultural development Coho Salmon migration and mating processes impeded because sediment smothered the gravel beds – they’re now on endangered species list

Strategies for Reducing Erosion

Land Use Planning –

Reducing the velocity agent while also protecting the soil from its effects      Leaving stubble in the fields after a crop harvest, planting cover crops in off-season, and in between crops Wind damage can be slowed by planting hedges, rows of trees, and low fences Sediment pollution prevention hay bales and wattles placed at bottom of hills or construction/agricultural sites Off-road vehicles restricted only to prescribed trails Urban construction sites clear the land in stages, leaving less time for bare soil to be exposed Let’s move our attention to

Minerals and Rock’s



Mineral and Rock Resources

 Ore Deposits  Types of Mineral Deposits  Examples of Mineral and Rock Resources…  Metals   Iron Aluminum  Copper, Leads, Zinc, Nickel, Cobalt, ECT.

 Nonmetallic Minerals  Sulfur  Halite (rock salt)  Rock Resources  1.1billion tons sand and gravel used in construction 2002   1.6 billion tons crushed rock used for fill and other 30 million tons quartz-rich sand used to make glass

•Iron is needed for the blood. •Magnesium is also needed for a healthy body, specifically contributing to bone structure.



U.S. Minerals Supply and Demand

Top Production + Consumption Totals of 2002(In Metric Tons/Year): Metals     Iron …….......50,000,

56,000

Aluminum …..2,700,

6,400

Silver …………. 1,470,

5,340

Copper ………. 1,450,

2,700

Non-Metals    Salt ……………..43,900,

50,200

Clays ………….. 40,700,

35,900

Phosphate ……35,800,

37,700



Minerals for the Future: Some Options Considered

 It would be best to reduce consumption rates; however it is not very likely. If demand cannot be cut then we must find ways to increase our supplies, or extend them…      New Methods in Mineral Exploration Marine Mineral Resources Conservation of Mineral Resources Impacts of Mining Activities Mineral Processing

Conclusion

   Today we have discussed the recourses of water, soil, and minerals We are consuming more than we are producing We need to conserve, find new methods of use, and new resources