APES
STUDY
GUIDE
CH 14 Geology & Nonrenewable Resources
1. What chemical is used to extract gold in North America and Australia? What is this
technique called and what are some environmental effects associated with using this
technique?
2. Describe the Earth’s core. Which element is the most abundant in the core?
3. Describe the Earth’s mantle. Which element is the most abundant in the mantle?
4. Describe the Earth’s crust. Which element is the most abundant in the crust?
5. What is the asthenosphere?
6. What is the lithosphere?
7. What are tectonic plates and why do they move?
8. What are divergent plates and what forms from plates that diverge?
9. What are convergent plates and what forms from plates that converge?
10. What is meant by a “geologic hot spot”?
11. Describe the two major types of volcanoes.
12. What area of the world is famous for the many volcanoes found there?
13. What is emitted from a volcanic eruption?
14. Where on earth do earthquakes generally form?
15. What is the focus of an earthquake? What is the epicenter of an earthquake?
16. How is an earthquake’s magnitude measured? What is the Richter Scale?
17. What is biological weathering?
18. What is chemical weathering?
19. What is physical weathering?
20. Which external processes cause erosion?
21. What are minerals and why are they considered nonrenewable?
22. What is the rock cycle?
23. How are sedimentary rocks formed and what are some examples of sedimentary rock?
24. How are igneous rocks formed and what are some examples of igneous rock?
25. How are metamorphic rocks formed and what are some examples of metamorphic rock?
26. What is surface mining and what are some examples of surface mining?
27. What are some environmental effects of surface mining?
28. What is overburden?
29. What are spoils?
30. What is gangue?
31. What are tailings?
32. What is subsurface mining and when is it utilized?
33. What are some environmental effects of subsurface mining?
34. What are the strategic metal resources that are of most concern? Where are the majority of
these metals found?
35. What are the choices available when a resource becomes economically depleted?
36. What are some arguments for the recycling of aluminum?