EARTHS NATURAL RESOURCES Natural Resources Definition an actual

EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES

Natural Resources Definition: an actual or potential form of wealth supplied by nature. Examples: metals arable land fossil fuels old-growth forests coal oil water power

Renewable Resources Definition: 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 Examples: Sun Wind Water Geothermal energy

Nonrenewable Resources Definition: 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 Fuels Definition: 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

Coal Definition: 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 Gases Definition: 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, fireplaces Examples: Lamp oil Gasoline Diesel fuel Crude oil Disadvantages: Develops over long periods of time Air pollution Water pollution

Solar Energy Definition: energy from the sun Advantages: 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 Energy Definition: energy produced by wind Advantages: 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 Power Definition: 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 Energy Definition: heat from the magma and hot rock that surrounds it that can be used to generate electricity Advantages: Iceland California use hot water and steam from geysers to heat their homes. Examples: Geysers Disadvantages: Sometimes not found, close to Earth’s surface Can release hot, salty water at Earth’s surface

Nuclear Energy Definition: 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

Groundwater Definition: 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

Forests Definition: 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 Resources Definition: metal objects that come from rocks Advantages: Sometimes large deposits of valuable minerals are found in one place Can be mined for profit Example: hematite makes motorcycle parts and saw blades, 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

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