Geography of Natural Resources
Resource: naturally occurring material useful to society Gold Ore
Renewable Resources: Resources that be regenerated more quickly than they are being used
Renewable Resources Soil Plants Animals Water Sun Wind
Nonrenewable Resources: Resources that exist in finite amounts and can be used up Natural Gas
Nonrenewable Resources Fossil fuels Nuclear fuels Metals Other minerals (gems, special stones)
Nonrenewable Energy Resources Petroleum Natural Gas Coal Oil Shale Oil Sands Nuclear Energy
Sources of Energy in the U.S.: 1775-2011
Major Sources of Energy in the U.S. Early 1800s: wood Late 1800s through early 1900s: coal Today: petroleum
Crude Oil: Nigeria
Crude Oil: North Sea
Crude Oil Movement
Regional Shares of Proved Oil Reserves
Oil Production and Consumption
Leading Major Oil Producers Saudi Arabia Russia U.S.
Leading Oil Consumers United States China Japan
Major Coal Basins
Largest Coal Producers China United States India Australia South Africa
Dependence on Coal for Electricity in 2011
Coal Development
Coal Ranks: from softest to hardest 1. Peat 2. Lignite 3. Bituminous 4. Anthracite
Coal Grades Low sulfur: less polluting, found in the Rocky Mountains High sulfur: more polluting, found in the Appalachians, not allowed in certain urban areas
Natural Gas Movement
Proved Natural Gas Reserves
U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines
Natural Gas Location associated with petroleum The cleanest fossil fuel Difficult to transport
Synthetic Fuels Oil Shale: enormous potential for energy production, profits depend on the proximity to the surface Oil Sands: expensive to mine, investors commonly lose money in extraction process
Oil Shale Deposits
Oil Shale in Australia
Oil Shale in Australia
Oil Sand Deposits
Mining Oil Sands
Leading Producers of Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Power Plants in the U.S.
World Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear Power: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nuclear Power: Three Mile Island
Chernobyl, Ukraine
Radiation Model After Chernobyl
Renewable Energy Resources Wood Waste Hydroelectricity Solar Energy Geothermal Energy Wind
Wood: its continued use is leading to the depletion of forest resources
Wood for cooking in Malawi and Guatemala Malawi Guatemala
Waste: Anaerobic digester used to create methane
Waste: fermented to create methane
Hydroelectric Power: falling water powers generators to produce electricity
Hydroelectric Power
China: Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
Solar Energy: Mainly possible in sunny climates. It is pollution free, but it is difficult to harness.
Solar Energy Photovoltaic System
Solar Energy Parabolic Trough
Geothermal Energy: steam produced when water contacts heated rocks in the earth s crust
Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Energy California
Geothermal Energy: New Zealand
Geothermal Energy: Iceland
Wind Power: wind turbines drive generators to produce electricity
Wind power in California and Alberta California Alberta, Canada
Metals: The U.S. is becoming more dependent on other countries for is metals
Depletion of Metal Resources
U.S. Metals Imports
U.S. Copper Ore Concentration
Copper Mining: Bingham Canyon, Utah
Naturally Fertile Soils
Fertile Soils Grassland soils have more nutrients since rainfall is low. Nutrients are not leached from the soil quickly. Alluvial soils that have been formed by river water are continually replenished with nutrients
Grassland Soils: Mollisols in the U.S.
Profiles of Grassland Soils
Alluvium: Nile River, Egypt
Floodplains: Alluvium being deposited
Infrared View of Farming on a Floodplain