EVM

• Rocks


  A combination of one or more minerals
• Minerals


  Naturally occurring inorganic substances with a specific chemical composition
• Igneous rocks


  • Made during a volcanic process
  • Formed when molten rock from the crust and upper mantle cools
• Magma


  • Molten rock below the surface of the Earth
• Lava


  • Molten rock that reaches the surface
• Crystals


  Formed when solutions of minerals cannot absorb any more dissolved minerals, causing precipitation
• Rapid cooling


  Only very small crystals can form before the rock becomes solid
• Slow cooling


  Allows the formation of larger crystals
• Igneous rocks


  • Granite
  • Basalt

  
• Sedimentary rocks


  • Formed by the weathering of existing rocks, the accumulation and fossilisation of living material, or the precipitation of dissolved materials out of solution in water
• Sediment


  Small mineral particles that accumulate to form sedimentary rock

  
• Sediment particles


  • Clays
  • Silts
  • Sands
  • Gravels
  • Small boulders
• Sedimentary rocks


  • Limestone
  • Sandstone
  • Shale
• Metamorphic rocks


  • Created from existing rocks when heat or pressure, or both, causes changes in the rock crystals without melting the existing rock
• Metamorphic rocks


  • Marble
  • Slate
• Rock cycle


  1. Igneous rocks form from liquid magma

  2. Sedimentary rocks form from other rock fragments

  3. Metamorphic rocks form from existing rocks by heat and pressure
• Rock types


  • Igneous
  • Sedimentary
  • Metamorphic

  
• The Earth's crust is made from rocks and metal ores
• The Earth weighs 5,973,600,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg and has a density of 5.2 g/cm3, making it the densest planet in the solar system
• The core consists of iron surrounded by a mantle of rock, and the very outside part above the mantle is what humans can use
• Extraction and use of rocks and minerals can cause environmental and other problems
• Peak mineral


  A concept that provides a date after which there will only be less extraction of a mineral
• Resources of commodities like coal, oil, phosphorus, copper, and uranium are finite, so it is important to limit their use and reuse and recycle them whenever possible
• The Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, with the core forming first, then the mantle, and finally the crust about 3-3.5 billion years ago
• Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock from the crust and upper mantle cools
• Sedimentary rocks are formed by the weathering of existing rocks, the accumulation and fossilisation of living material, or the precipitation of dissolved materials out of solution in water
• Metamorphic rocks are created from existing rocks when heat or pressure, or both, causes changes in the rock crystals without melting the existing rock
• All rock types are constantly eroded and formed in the rock cycle
• Minerals provide us with a wide range of materials used in everyday life, including energy, chemicals, and metals
• The demand for minerals continues to increase, both from developed and developing countries
• Prospecting


  • The simplest way to find mineral deposits is to look carefully at the surface of rocks

  
• Remote sensing


  • Using aerial photography, satellite imagery, and geophysical methods to detect mineral deposits
• Mineral deposits are weathered at the Earth's surface, producing mineral oxides that can be detected by their unique radiation pattern

  
• Satellite data and geochemical analysis of field samples are used to locate and confirm the presence of valuable mineral ores
• Geophysical methods using seismic waves or explosives can also be used to identify mineral ores present in rock layers

  
• Resource evaluation


  • Drilling to collect rock samples to estimate the grade and tonnage of the mineral of interest present in a deposit

  
• Mineral ore reserve


  • A deposit that is classified as practical to extract
• Feasibility study


  • An evaluation of the financial and technical risks of a proposed mining project
• Surface mining


  • Mining methods used when the mineral is either exposed on the surface or overlain by only small amounts of overburden
• Sub-surface mining


  • Mining methods used when the deposit is covered by a deep layer(s) of unwanted rock