INDIAN SCHOOL, AL AIN

GEOGRAPHY NOTES

CHAPTER: MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES

1. What is a Mineral?
Ans: Mineral is defined as a “homogenous, naturally occurring substance with a definable
internal structure.” Minerals are found in varied forms in nature, ranging from the hardest
diamond to the softest talc. Rocks are combinations of homogeneous substances called
minerals.

2. On what basis are Minerals classified?

Ans: Minerals are classified on the basis of their chemical composition, physical properties that
are commonly used to identify minerals. These include color, crystal form, hardness, density,
luster, and cleavage.

3. Difference between Geologists and Geographers approach to study of Minerals:

Geologists Geographers
geologist is interested in the formation of study minerals as part of the earth's crust for
minerals, a better understanding of landforms.
their age The distribution of mineral
physical and chemical composition associated economic activities

4. How are Minerals classified:

Ans: Classification of Minerals
5. Explain the mode of occurrences of Minerals?

Ans: Minerals are usually found in “ores”. The term ore is used to describe an accumulation of any
mineral mixed with other elements. Minerals generally occur in the following forms:

In igneous and metamorphic rocks, minerals may occur in the cracks, crevices, faults or joints.

In sedimentary rocks, a number of minerals occur in beds or layers.

The decomposition of surface rocks and the removal of soluble constituents also forms the
minerals.

Minerals also occur as alluvial deposits in sands of valley floors and the base of hills.

The ocean waters contain vast quantities of minerals.

6. Explain the importance of Minerals?

Ans: Minerals are an indispensable part of our lives. Almost everything we use, from a tiny pin to a
towering building or a big ship, all are made from minerals. Even the food that we eat contains
minerals. In all stages of development, human beings have used minerals for their livelihood,
decoration, festivities, religious and ceremonial rites.

7. What is Rat -Hole Mining?

Ans: In most of the tribal areas of north-east India, minerals are owned by individuals or
communities. Mining of minerals like coal, iron ore, limestone, dolomite, etc., is done by family
members in the form of a long narrow tunnel, known as 'Rat-hole Mining'.

8. Explain the uneven distribution of India’s rich and varied Mineral Resources.

Ans: Peninsular rocks in the Deccan region and eastern plateau area contains most of the coal
reserves, metallic and non-metallic minerals as well. Sedimentary rocks of the western and
eastern coasts in Gujrat and Assam are rich in petroleum reserves. The rock system of Rajasthan
has several important deposits of non-ferrous minerals.

It is evident from the distribution that India though blessed with a variety of mineral reserves is
also hampered by their uneven distribution. Mineral formation processes can be blamed for this
uneven distribution. Differences in geological structures, processes and time required in the
formation of minerals have led to this uneven distribution of minerals in India.

9. Depending on which factors does a Mineral reserve turn into a Mine?

Ans: The concentration of mineral in the ore, the ease extraction and closeness to the market play
an important role in affecting the economic viability of a reserve .to meet the demand a choice
has to be made between a number of possible options. when this is done a mineral deposit or
reserve turns into a mine.
10. Differentiate between Ferrous and Nonferrous Minerals.
Ans:

11. Which is the finest and which is the most important iron ore?
Ans: Magnetite is the finest iron ore with a very high content of iron, up to 70%. It has excellent
magnetic qualities.
Hematite ore is the most important industrial iron ore. It contains 50 to 60% iron.

12. Which are the major iron ore belts of India?

Ans:
Odisha-Jharkhand belt
Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt
Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru belt
Maharashtra-Goa belt

13. Explain the importance of Manganese.

Ans: It is mainly used in the manufacturing of steel and ferro-manganese alloy.
Nearly 10 kg of manganese is required to manufacture 1 tonne of steel.
It is also used in manufacturing bleaching powder, insecticides and paints.

14. India is critically deficient in which mineral? What are its features?
Ans: Copper
Malleable, ductile and good conductor of heat and electricity.
Mainly used in electrical cables, electronics and chemical industries.
The Balaghat mines in Madhya Pradesh, Khetri mines in Rajasthan and Singhbhum district of
Jharkhand are leading producers of copper.

15. Aluminum is obtained from which mineral?

Ans: Bauxite
 Bauxite deposits are formed by the decomposition of a wide variety of rocks rich in aluminium
silicates.
Aluminium is obtained from bauxite. Aluminium has good conductivity and great malleability.
Deposits are mainly found in the Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills and the plateau region of
Bilaspur-Katni.

16. Which non metallic mineral is found in series of plates or leaves?

Ans:
Mica is a mineral made up of a series of plates or leaves. It can be clear, black, green, red, yellow
or brown.
Mica is the most indispensable minerals used in electric and electronic industries.
It has excellent di-electric strength, low power loss factor, insulating properties and resistance
to high voltage.
Mica deposits are found in the northern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau.

17. Explain the hazards of Mining?

Ans: Personal hazards:
The risk of collapsing mine roofs,
The dust and noxious fumes make miners vulnerable to pulmonary diseases
inundation and fires in coal mines are a constant threat to miners.

Hazards to the environment:

The water resources in the regions get contaminated due to mining.
Dumping of waste and slurry leads to degradation of land, soil and increase in stream and river
pollution.
Air pollution due to generation of dust in mining areas.

18. Why do we need to conserve Minerals?

Ans: Minerals are a non-renewable resource.
It takes thousands of years for the formation and concentration of minerals.
Continued extraction of ores leads to the depletion of minerals.
Continued extraction leads to increasing costs as mineral extraction comes from greater depths.
So, it’s important to take the necessary steps so that mineral resources can be used in a planned
and sustainable manner.

19. How can Minerals be used in a sustainable manner?

Ans:
1. Minerals have to be used in a planned and sustainable manner.
2. Improved technologies should be evolved to make use of low-grade ores at low costs.
3. Recycling of metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes would help in the conservation
of minerals.
4. Using better mining methods will also help to reduce wastage.

20. Why is energy required for all activities? How can energy be generated?
 Ans:
Energy is required for all our activities. It is needed to cook, to provide heat and light, to propel
vehicles, and to drive machinery.
Energy can be generated from conventional and non-conventional sources. Conventional
resources include fire wood, cattle dung cake, fuel minerals like coal, petroleum etc. Non-
conventional resources include solar, wind, tidal, atomic energy, etc.

21. Differentiate between Conventional and Non-conventional energy resources.

Ans:

Conventional Sources Non-conventional Sources

Conventional sources of energy (e.g.

Non-conventional sources of energy (e.g. solar and
coal, petroleum and natural gas) are
wind energy) are renewable sources of energy.
non-renewable sources of energy.

These sources have recently developed and are still

They have been in use since a long
developing. For example, the technology of
time. For example, firewood and coal
producing electricity from solar panels has recently
have been in use since a long time.
developed.

Most of these energy sources (e.g.

They do not cause any pollution (e.g. solar energy,
coal and firewood) cause pollution
geothermal energy etc.)
when used.

They are comparatively new sources of energy and

They are common and widely used
hence are not widely used. For example, solar
sources (e.g. thermal power).
panels and wind mills are not widely used.

22. Explain the conventional sources of energy.

Ans: Coal:

It is the most abundantly available fossil fuel.

It is used for power generation, to supply energy to the industry as well as for domestic needs.
Lignite is a low grade brown coal, which is soft with high moisture content.
Coal that has been buried deep and subjected to increased temperatures is bituminous coal.
Anthracite is the highest quality of hard coal.
Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro are important coalfields.

Petroleum

It provides fuel for heat and lighting, lubricants for machinery and raw materials for a number of
manufacturing industries.
Petroleum refineries act as a “nodal industry” for synthetic textile, fertiliser and numerous
chemical industries.
Mumbai High, Gujarat and Assam are major petroleum production areas in India.
 Natural Gas

Natural gas is an important clean energy resource. It is considered an environment-friendly fuel.

The power and fertilizer industries are the key users of natural gas.
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG ) is used in vehicles to replace liquid fuels.
Large reserves of natural gas have been discovered in the Krishna-Godavari basin

23. Differentiate between Hydroelectricity and thermal electricity.

Ans:

24. What is the need of using non-conventional sources of energy?

Answer:
The growing consumption of energy has resulted in the country becoming increasingly
dependent on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.
Rising prices of oil and gas and their potential shortages have raised uncertainties about the
security of energy supply in future, which has serious repercussions on the growth of the national
economy.
Increasing use of fossil fuels also causes serious environmental problems.
Hence, there is a primary need to use renewable energy sources like solar, wind, tidal, biomass
and energy from waste material. They are called non-conventional sources of energy.

25. Solar energy is expected to play an important role in India.’ Give three arguments in support of the
statement.
Ans: Solar energy is expected to play an important role in India because of the following reasons:
1. India being a tropical country gets sufficient amount of sunlight throughout the year.
2. It has enormous possibilities of tapping solar energy and converting it directly into
electricity.
3. It can reduce the dependence on fossil fuels for energy consumption.
4. Its set up is low cost and it can provide sufficient amount of energy for daily needs of people
in India.
26. Differentiate between Biogas and Natural Gas.

27. What is Geothermal energy?

Ans: 1. Geothermal energy refers to the heat and electricity produced by heat from the interior
of the earth.
2. It is so hot that when it rises to the earth’s surface it turns into steam.
3. This stem is used to drive turbines and generate electricity.
4. Two experimental projects have been set up in Parvati valley in Himachal Pradesh and Puga
valley in Ladakh.

28. How is energy a basic requirement for the economic development of the country? Explain with
examples.
Ans: Energy is a basic requirement for the economic development of a country in the following
ways.
Every sector of the national economy—agriculture, industry, transport, commercial and
domestic—needs inputs of energy.
The economic development plans implemented since independence require increasing amounts
of energy to remain operational.
Energy is used for all activities. To provide light and heat, to propel vehicles and drive machinery
in industries.
For example, coal provides a large percentage of energy for country’s economic needs, supply
energy to industries as well as for domestic use.
Also, natural gas is an important clean energy resource found in association with petroleum. It is
used as a source of energy as an industrial raw material in petro-chemical industry.

29. How can we Conserve Energy Resources?

Ans: Every sector of the national economy – agriculture, industry, transport, commercial and
domestic – needs inputs of energy. There is an urgent need to develop a sustainable path for
energy development. Here are some ways that each one of us can contribute to save energy
resources:
Using public transport systems instead of individual vehicles
Switching off electricity when not in use
Using power-saving devices.
Using non-conventional sources of energy