Acid mine drainage

metal has a very high density. It is very reactive so cannot be found in the environment in its elemental form. When finely divided, it can react with cold water. In air it is coated by uranium oxide, tarnishing rapidly. It is attacked by steam and acids. It has the ability to form solid solutions and inter- metallic compounds with many metals. While Uranium is not hazardous by itself, some of its by-products and decay products pose a huge threat upon build-up. Uranium is weakly radioactive due to

For centuries, people have battled the resources surrounding them while on the hunt for drinkable water with little success. However, with advances in technology, many high- and middle-income nations are now able to have access to clean, drinkable, toxin-free water at all times. For the lower-income nations, the same cannot be said. One of the most water hungry continents in need of water today is Africa. Though it is made of several nations, each containing several different tribes and cultures

The gold mines of South Africa currently account for about 12% of the world wide gold production each year. South Africa has produced nearly 30% of the world’s gold in the export market from the 1990’s onward. South Africa is still home to approximately 50% of the

Mountaintop removal and valley filling is the process of mining for coal, primarily in southern Appalachia. In mountaintop removal, the tops of mountains are removed to expose the layer of coal. The earth that is removed from the mountaintop is then disposed in nearby valleys. Following the removal of the coal from the mountain, the coal is “washed”; the liquid that is left over after cleaning the coal is called coal slurry. This process of reshaping mountains and valleys has dangerous and lasting

Chapter 8 Outline – Earth Systems I. The availability of Earth’s resources was determined when the planet formed A. Formation of Earth 1. Nearly all the elements found on Earth today are as old as the planet itself 2. Figure I.A.2. Stages of the formation of the solar system. Each stage describe a major transformation of the gradual state of the cosmic entity. a) Heavy elements such as iron sank, lighter elements such as silica floated, gases became part of Earth’s atmosphere 3. Elements and minerals

Mountaintop removal and valley filling is the long time process of mining for coal, primarily in southern Appalachia. In mountaintop removal the tops of mountains are removed to expose the layer of coal. The earth that is removed from the mountaintop is then disposed in nearby valleys. Following the removal of the coal from the mountain, the coal is “washed”; the liquid that is left over after cleaning the coal is called coal slurry. This process of reshaping mountains and valleys has dangerous and

The marine ecosystems are hugely critical for Earth and its living organisms which holds the plant that produces most of the oxygen on earth. Without oxygen many animals would not be able to breath or even exist. The marine ecosystems have been polluted vastly which is altering the marine population. Who is at fault for the pollution? The inhabitants of Earth. Fortunately for earth there are ways of preventing this form of pollution. The importance of the marine ecosystems and the effects of pollution

Nearly two million people die from drinking dirty water, and after 15 years the whole world might be in a place where clean fresh water won’t be available for everyone. Even fresh water is be being polluted by Huge companies in the U.S. as they have faced many complaints about the dangers that the throw in rivers and streams. In 2013, Williams Energy Company spilled thousands of gallons of gas and oil near Parachute, Colorado. A local guy told the Denver post that this leak isn’t the first one,

environments on Earth. Bacteria grow in three different shapes: cocci (ball shaped), rod, and spiral. Beneficial bacteria aid in digestion, treat infections, turn milk into yogurt, clean waste from sewage water, break down oil spills, and neutralize acid mine drainage. Harmful bacteria can cause infections and illnesses. I Hypothesized that the phone will have more bacteria than the desk, since phones go everywhere with the carrier throughout the day but are normally not sterilized regularly. My second hypothesis

Life in Extreme Conditions Planet Earth plays host to a myriad of exotic ecosystems and environments, both natural and artificial, from the deepest hyper-saline lake of the Dead Sea to the hydrothermal vents along mid-ocean ridges in the Pacific and even the nuclear radiated wastelands of Chernobyl. In these extreme environment where humans generally can’t live or would die there, organisms known as extremophiles flaunts life’s ability to exist inside the harshest of environments. In mankind’s