Obtaining Natural Resources
Tatianna Butte
Mining
Mining is the extraction (removal) of minerals and metals from earth.
Drilling
Drilling is a cutting process that uses a drill bit to cut or enlarge a hole of circular cross-section in solid materials.
Fracking
Fracking is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside.
Mining
The two types of mining are surface mining and subsurface mining. Manganese, tantalum, cassiterite, copper, tin, nickel, bauxite (aluminum ore), iron ore, gold, silver, and diamonds are just some examples of what can be mined. Some environmental concerns associated with mining are destruction of land and environment. Mining is a large cause of deforestation which is the process whereby natural forests are cleared through logging and/or burning, either to use the timber or to replace the area for alternative uses.
mountain top removal mining
surface mining that involves the topographical alteration and/or removal of a summit, hill, or ridge to access buried coal seams.
surface mining
Surface mining is a highly-regulated, highly-sophisticated mining method used to mine coal that is near the surface of the earth.
Drilling
Drilling can be done on land and in certain areas of the ocean. Oil comes from the remains of tiny plants and animals (plankton) that died in ancient seas between 10 million and 600 million years ago. After the organisms died, they sank into the sand and mud at the bottom of the sea. Not all oil is accessible on land or in shallow waters. You can find some oil deposits buried deep under the ocean floor. Reaching these oil deposits is dangerous, but if done correctly, it can also be rewarding. If things go wrong, however, the results can be deadly both for oil workers and the surrounding environment.
Fracking
Fracking is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside.
A well is drilled vertically , then turns ninety degrees and continues horizontally for several thousand feet into the shale that contains natural gas. next a mix of water, sand, and various chemicals is pumped into the well at high pressure to create fissures in the shale that the gas can escape. Then Natural gas escapes through the fissures and is drawn back up the well to the surface, where it is processed, refined, and shipped to market.Fracking obtains oil and natural gases. The environmental concerns involved with fracking are methane gas and toxic chemicals leaching out from the system and contaminate nearby groundwater. The waste fluid is left in open air pits to evaporate, releasing harmful VOC’s into the atmosphere creating contaminated air, acid rain, and ground level ozone.
A well is drilled vertically , then turns ninety degrees and continues horizontally for several thousand feet into the shale that contains natural gas. next a mix of water, sand, and various chemicals is pumped into the well at high pressure to create fissures in the shale that the gas can escape. Then Natural gas escapes through the fissures and is drawn back up the well to the surface, where it is processed, refined, and shipped to market.Fracking obtains oil and natural gases. The environmental concerns involved with fracking are methane gas and toxic chemicals leaching out from the system and contaminate nearby groundwater. The waste fluid is left in open air pits to evaporate, releasing harmful VOC’s into the atmosphere creating contaminated air, acid rain, and ground level ozone.