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lithosphere 2 - Coggle Diagram
lithosphere 2
-lithosphere 4:
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-rare earth metals:
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-new tech developed such as bacterial adsorption, where dissolved ions of the rare metals become more concentrated as they adsorb on the surface of bacteria
-the metals can be separated by washing them off of bacterial surfaces using acidic solutions, different metals are washed off at different PHs
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-bioleaching:
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-acidophilic bacteria can oxidise sulphide ores to produce sulphuric acid which dissolves the metal contained within
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-aspergillus fungi produce acids that can dissolve nickel, lead, copper and tin
-Phyto mining:
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-the C, O and H are released in combustion
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-polymer adsorbtion:
-metal ions dissolved in sea water will adsorb onto the surface of some polymers and can be collected later
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-lithosphere 3
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-traffic congestion:
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-use alternative transport, eg railways
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-spoil disposal:
-spoil: solid waste left behind by mining, including overburden, waste materials, and solid wastes from chemical processes
-spoil heaps can damage the aesthetic beauty of an area, can be landscaped with trees
-spoil heap stability:
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-Aberfan, south wales - 1966:
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-after heavy rain, the tip flowed down the valley and covered the primary school
-spoil leachate:
-rainwater percolating through spoil can dissolve toxic metals and sulphides that produce acidic leachate solutions (acid mine drainage)
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-mine drainage water can be passed through a filter bed of crushed alkaline limestone to immobilise the metal and prevent it being carried into rivers - leachate neutralisation
-acid mine drainage:
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-any remaining metal sulphide ores from a mine or its leachate, will react with oxygen and water to form metal oxides and oxides of sulphur that will dissolve in water
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-can be neutralised with crushed limestone or by planting reed beds that will filter the metals from the liquid
lithosphere 3 (2)
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-turbid drainage water:
-suspended solids in mine drainage can reduce light, cover and kill some organisms
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-mine site restoration:
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-the use depends on location, access, topography, and residual problems
-many sand, gravel, and clay pits have been flooded and developed into wetland wildlife reserves
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-lithosphere 2 (2)
-economics:
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-price of metal: affected by demand, rarity, political instability, etc
-mining costs:
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-infrastructure - roads, rails, etc
-transport costs: impacted by distance to market, ease of bulk transport, presence of existing transport infrastructure
-processing costs:
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-eg, aluminium is most abundant in clay but only economically extractible from bauxite
-eg, pyrite could be a source of iron but is made from iron sulphide which when processed produces a load of SO2 that can cause respiratory illness
-land use conflicts:
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-eg, conservation of wildlife species / important habitats