Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 Notes- Mineral and Power Resources

Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 Notes / Mineral and Power Resources Class 8 Geography

In Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 Notes- Mineral and Power Resources we discuss Minerals, their types and distribution, the Conservation Of Minerals, and various sources of minerals. Notes of Ch 3 Mineral and Power class 8 are a part of our NCERT Notes. You can also download Mineral and Power Resources Class 8 notes pdf.

A naturally occurring substance that has a definite chemical composition is a mineral. Minerals are not evenly distributed over space. They are concentrated in a particular area or rock formations.

Minerals are formed in different types of geological environments, under varying conditions. They are created by natural processes without any human interference. They can be identified on the basis of their physical properties such as colour, density, and hardness and chemical properties such as solubility.

Types of Minerals

There are over three thousand different minerals. On the basis of composition, minerals are classified mainly as metallic and non-metallic minerals

• Metallic– minerals contain metal in raw form.
  • Metals are hard substances that conduct heat and electricity and have a characteristic lustre or shine.
  • Iron ore, bauxite, and manganese ore are some examples.
  • Metallic minerals may be ferrous or non-ferrous.
  • Ferrous– Ferrous minerals like iron ore, manganese and chromites contain iron.
  • Non-ferrous– A non-ferrous mineral does not contain iron but may contain some other metal such as gold, silver, copper or lead.
• Non-metallic– Non-metallic minerals do not contain metals.
  • Limestone, mica, gypsum and coal and petroleum are examples.

Minerals can be extracted in different ways like mining, drilling or quarrying.

• Mining– The process of taking out minerals from rocks buried under the earth’s surface is called mining.
  • Open-Cast Mining– Minerals that lie at shallow depths are taken out by removing the surface layer; this is known as open-cast mining.
  • Shatt Mining- the process of taking out minerals from great depth using Deep bores (shafts) called shaft mining.
• Drilling– Deep wells are bored to take Petroleum and natural gas out which occurs far below the earth’s surface is called drilling.
• Quarrying– Minerals that lie near the surface are simply dug out, by the process known as quarrying.

Distribution of Minerals

Minerals occur in different types of rocks. Some are found in igneous rocks, some in metamorphic rocks and others occur in sedimentary rocks. Generally, metallic minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rock formations that form large plateaus. Iron-ore in north Sweden, copper and nickel deposits in Ontario, Canada, and iron, nickel, chromites and platinum in South Africa are examples of minerals found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Sedimentary rock formations of plains and young fold mountains contain non-metallic minerals like limestone. Limestone deposits of the Caucasus region of France, manganese deposits of Georgia and Ukraine and phosphate beds of Algeria are some examples.

Asia

• The continent produces more than half of the world’s tin.
• China, Malaysia and Indonesia are among the world’s leading tin producers.
• China and India have large iron ore deposits.
• China also leads in the production of lead, antimony and tungsten.
• Asia also has deposits of manganese, bauxite, nickel, zinc and copper.

Europe

• Europe is the leading producer of iron ore in the world. Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and France have large deposits of iron ore.
• Minerals deposits of copper, lead, zinc, manganese and nickel are found in eastern Europe and European Russia.

North America

The mineral deposits in North America are located in three zones

• Canadian Region- Iron ore, nickel, gold, uranium and copper.
• Appalachian Region- coal.
• Mountain Ranges- copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver.

South America

• Brazil is the largest producer of high-grade iron ore in the world.
• Chile and Peru are leading producers of copper.
• Brazil and Bolivia are among the world’s largest producers of tin.
• South America also has large deposits of gold, silver, zinc, chromium, manganese, bauxite, mica, platinum, asbestos and diamond.
• Mineral oil is found in Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Columbia.

Africa

• Africa is rich in mineral resources.
• It is the world’s largest producer of diamonds, gold, and platinum.
• South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zaire are major producers of gold.
• Other minerals found in Africa include copper, iron ore, chromium, uranium, cobalt, and bauxite.
• Oil is found in Nigeria, Libya, and Angola.

Australia

• Australia is the largest producer of bauxite in the world.
• It is a leading producer of gold, diamond, iron ore, tin, and nickel.
• Australia is also rich in copper, lead, zinc, and manganese.
• The Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie areas of western Australia have the largest deposits of gold.

Antarctica

• In the Transantarctic Mountains- Coal
• Near the Prince Charles Mountains- Iron

Conservation Of Minerals

Minerals are a non-renewable resource. It is necessary to reduce wastage in the process of mining. Recycling of metals is another way in which mineral resources can be conserved. We have to follow three R (Recycle, Reuse and Reduce ).

Power Resources

Power or energy plays a vital role in our lives. We also need power for industry, agriculture, transport, communication and defense. Power resources may be broadly categorised as conventional and non-conventional resources.

Conventional Sources

Conventional sources of energy are those which have been in common use for a long time. Firewood and fossil fuels are the two main conventional energy sources.

Firewood

In our country, more than fifty per cent of the energy used by villagers comes from firewood. It is widely used for cooking and heating.

Fossil fuel– Remains of plants and animals which were buried under the earth for millions of years got converted by the heat and pressure into fossil fuels. Fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are the main sources of conventional energy.

Coal

• This is the most abundantly found fossil fuel.
• It is used as a domestic fuel, in industries such as iron and steel, steam engines and to generate electricity.
• Electricity from coal is called thermal power.
• Coal is referred to as Buried Sunshine because it was formed millions of years ago when giant ferns and swamps got buried under the layers of the earth.
• The leading coal producers of the world are China, the USA, Germany, Russia, South Africa and France.
• The coal-producing areas of India are Raniganj, Jharia, Dhanbad and Bokaro in Jharkhand.

Petroleum

The word petroleum is derived from Latin words –Petra meaning rock, oleum meaning oil. So, petroleum means rock oil.

• Petroleum is a thick black liquid used in vehicles and other machinery.
• It is found between the layers of rocks and is drilled from oil fields located in off-shore and coastal areas.
• This is then sent to refineries which process the crude oil and produce a variety of products like diesel, petrol, kerosene, wax, plastics and lubricants.
• Petroleum and its derivatives are called Black Gold as they are very valuable.
• The chief petroleum-producing countries are Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
• The leading producers in India are Digboi in Assam, Bombay High in Mumbai and the deltas of Krishna and
• Godavari rivers.

Natural Gas

• Natural gas is found in petroleum deposits and is released when crude oil is brought to the surface.
• It can be used as a domestic and industrial fuel.
• Russia, Norway, the UK and the Netherlands are the major producers of natural gas.
• In India Jaisalmer, Krishna Godavari delta, Tripura and some areas offshore in Mumbai have natural gas resources.

Hydel Power

Hydroelectricity is a method of producing electricity by using the energy of falling water from dams. The water is directed through pipes over turbine blades located at the bottom of the dam, which in turn rotates a generator to produce electricity. The remaining water is then used for irrigation.

• One-fourth of the world’s electricity is produced by hydel power,
• The leading producers of hydel power in the world are Paraguay, Norway, Brazil, and China.
• In India, some important hydel power stations include Bhakra Nangal, Gandhi Sagar, Nagarjunsagar, and Damodar Valley projects.

Non-conventional Sources of Energy

Non-conventional sources of energy are those which are renewable like solar energy, wind energy, and tidal energy.

Solar Energy

• We use Solar energy in the form of heat and light.
• Solar energy can be used in solar cells to produce electricity.
• Solar energy is also used in solar heaters, solar cookers, and solar dryers besides being used for community lighting and traffic signals.

Wind Energy

• The wind is an inexhaustible source of energy.
• Windmills have been used for grinding grain and lifting water since time immemorial.
• In modern times windmills, the high-speed winds rotate the windmill which is connected to a generator to produce electricity.
• Wind farms are located in coastal regions and in mountain passes.

Nuclear Power

Nuclear power is obtained from energy stored in the nuclei of atoms of naturally occurring radioactive elements like uranium and thorium. These fuels undergo nuclear fission in nuclear reactors and emit power.

• The greatest producers of nuclear power are USA and Europe.
• In India, Rajasthan and Jharkhand have large deposits of Uranium.
• Thorium is found in large quantities in the Monozite sands of Kerala.
• The nuclear power stations in India are located in Kalpakkam in Tamilnadu, Tarapur in Maharastra, Rana Pratap Sagar near Kota in Rajasthan, Narora in Uttar Pradesh and Kaiga in Karnataka.

Geothermal Energy

Heat energy obtained from the earth is called geothermal energy. The temperature in the interior of the earth rises steadily as we go deeper. Sometimes this heat energy may surface itself in the form of hot springs. This heat energy can be used to generate power.

• The USA has the world’s largest geothermal power plants followed by New Zealand, Iceland, the Philippines and Central America.
• In India, geothermal plants are located in Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh and Puga Valley in Ladakh.

Tidal Energy

Energy generated from tides is called tidal energy. Tidal energy can be harnessed by building dams at narrow openings in the sea. During high tides, the energy of the tides is used to turn the turbine installed in the dam to produce electricity. Russia, France and the Gulf of Kachchh in India have huge tidal mill farms.

Biogas

• Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas.
• The organic waste is decomposed by bacteria in biogas digesters to emit biogas which is essentially a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide.

Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 Notes- Do you know?

• The salt in your food and graphite in your pencil are also minerals.
• A rock is an aggregate of one or more minerals but without definite composition of the constituent of the mineral. Rocks from which minerals are mined are known as ores. Although more than 2,800 types of minerals have been identified, only about 100 are considered ore minerals.
• A rock containing copper looks blue in colour.
• Switzerland has no known mineral deposit in it.
• A green diamond is the rarest diamond.
• The oldest rocks in the world are in Western Australia. They date from 4,300 million years ago, only 300 million years after the earth was formed.
• Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a popular eco-friendly automobile fuel as it causes less pollution than petroleum and diesel.
• Norway was the first country in the world to develop hydroelectricity.
• The site of the world’s first solar and wind-powered bus shelter is in Scotland.
• The first tidal energy station was built in France.

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