EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES
Dec 13, 2015
Natural ResourcesDefinition: an actual or potential form of wealth supplied by
nature.
Examples: metals arable land
fossil fuels old-growth forests coal oil water power
Renewable ResourcesDefinition: energy sources that can be recycled or replaced by natural processes in less than 100 years
Advantages: Stays for a long
time They are
constant
Disadvantages: Expensive Can harm
wildlife Not reliable Some put off
carbon dioxide (biomass)
Examples: Sun Wind Water Geothermal
energy
Nonrenewable ResourcesDefinition: resources that cannot be replaced by natural processes
in more than 100 years Advantages: We need it to
make gasoline
Examples: Fossil fuels
Disadvantages: Acid rain Pollution
Fossil FuelsDefinition: an energy resource
formed from the decayed remains of ancient plants and other
organisms Advantages: a chemical energy is changed into heat and light
Examples: Coal Oil Natural gas
Disadvantages: pollutes the atmosphere
CoalDefinition: formed from the remains of ancient swamp
vegetation Advantages: changes a chemical to heat and light
Examples: Lignite Bituminous Anthracite
Disadvantages: pollutes the atmosphere
Oil and Natural GasesDefinition: formed over millions of years
from the decay of algae and other microscopic ocean organisms called
plankton Advantages: Changes into heat and
light Power vehicles Power stoves, ovens,
fireplacesExamples: Lamp oil Gasoline Diesel fuel Crude oil
Disadvantages: Develops over
long periods of time
Air pollution Water pollution
Solar EnergyDefinition: energy from
the sunAdvantages: Renewable Does not cause
hazardous/toxic pollution
Examples: Solar panels Flat mirrors
Disadvantages: We do not have
the technology to harness all of its energy
Cover large areas with solar panels
Noise pollution
Wind EnergyDefinition: energy produced
by windAdvantages: Renewable Nonpolluting
(air, land) Not harmful to
the environment
Does not produce waste
Examples: Windmills wind farms
Disadvantages: Few regions
have winds strong enough to generate electricity on a large scale
Noise pollution
Hydroelectric PowerDefinition: production of electricity using water
Advantages: does not cause pollution and it is renewable
Examples: Niagara Falls Water falls Dams
Disadvantages: Reservoirs
behind the dam can fill up with sediment
Increased erosion
Geothermal EnergyDefinition: heat from the magma
and hot rock that surrounds it that can be used to generate
electricity Advantages: Iceland and
California use hot water and steam from geysers to heat their homes.
Examples: Geysers Hot springs
Disadvantages: Sometimes not
found, close to Earth’s surface
Can release hot, salty water at Earth’s surface
Nuclear EnergyDefinition: energy produced
by splitting the nuclei of certain elements
Advantages: only makes up 8 %
of the total energy used in the U.S.
Power entire cities
Examples: power plants uranium
Disadvantages: Storing nuclear
waste makes its use limited
Radioactive wastes
Nuclear accidents
GroundwaterDefinition: water that soaks
into the ground and collects in small spaces between bits of soil and
rock Advantages: part of water cycle, so it is renewable
Example: Used in
industries and on farms
Disadvantages: it takes a long time for it to move through rock layers
ForestsDefinition: a thick growth of trees
and underbrush covering an extensive tract of land
Advantages: take in carbon and stores it
Examples: Yellowstone Yosemite
Disadvantages: no forests = more carbon in the atmosphere (might cause global warming)
Mineral ResourcesDefinition: metal objects that
come from rocksAdvantages: Sometimes large
deposits of valuable minerals are found in one place
Can be mined for profit
Example: hematite makes
motorcycle parts and saw blades, diamonds, gold, etc.
Disadvantages: Costs a lot to
get the minerals out of the rocks
Air pollution Water pollution
Abiotic Factors
Definition: any nonliving part of the environment
Examples: Air current Temperature Moisture Light Soil
Biotic Factors
Definition: any living or once living organism in the environment
Examples: Animals Plants Insects Humans