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Overview of Mineral and Energy Resources

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Estimated time: 15 minutes
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Mineral Resources

  • Two Main Types: Minerals are classified into metallic minerals and non-metallic minerals based on their chemical and physical properties.
  • Metallic Minerals: These are sources of metals like iron, copper, gold, and bauxite.
    i. Ferrous minerals contain iron (e.g., iron ore, manganese).
    ii. Non-ferrous minerals do not contain iron (e.g., copper, bauxite).
  • Non-Metallic Minerals:
    i. Organic minerals (mineral fuels): Coal, petroleum, natural gas (formed from buried plants and animals).
    ii. Inorganic minerals: Mica, limestone, graphite, etc.
  • Uneven Distribution: Minerals are unevenly distributed over the earth. Good quality minerals are usually found in smaller quantities than low-quality ones.
  • Exhaustible Resources: Minerals are non-renewable and exhaustible. They take millions of years to form and must be conserved carefully.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Distribution of Minerals in India

  • Peninsular Plateau Region: Most metallic minerals are found in the old crystalline rocks of the Peninsular Plateau. Over 97% of coal reserves are in the Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi, and Godavari valleys.
  • Petroleum Reserves: Oil is found in the sedimentary basins of Assam, Gujarat, and Mumbai High (offshore). New reserves are also located in the Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins.
  • North-Eastern Plateau Belt: Covers Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh. It is rich in iron ore, coal, manganese, bauxite, and mica, making it an important iron and steel region.
  • South-Western Plateau Belt: Extends over Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Rich in iron ore, manganese, bauxite, and limestone, but lacks coal (except Neyveli lignite).
  • North-Western & Himalayan Belt:
    a. Rajasthan and Gujarat (Aravali region) have copper, zinc, marble, gypsum, limestone, and petroleum.
    b. The Himalayan belt contains copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, and tungsten.
    c. Assam valley and Mumbai High have major oil reserves.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Non-Metallic Minerals

  • Ferrous Minerals:
    Ferrous minerals like iron ore and manganese form the base of metallurgical industries. India has large reserves, especially in the Peninsular Plateau region.
  • Iron Ore:
    India has the largest iron ore reserves in Asia. Main types are haematite and magnetite. About 95% reserves are in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
  • Manganese:
    Manganese is used in iron smelting and ferro-alloys. Major producing states are Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra.
  • Bauxite (Non-Ferrous):
    Bauxite is the ore of aluminium. India is well endowed with it. Odisha is the largest producer, followed by Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
  • Copper:
    Copper is important for the electrical industry. Major deposits are in Jharkhand (Singhbhum), Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat) and Rajasthan (Jhunjhunu & Alwar).
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Non-Conventional Energy Sources

  • Non-conventional energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and bio-energy are renewable, eco-friendly and sustainable, unlike fossil fuels which are exhaustible.
  • Nuclear energy is produced using uranium and thorium. Uranium is found in Singhbhum belt and Rajasthan, while thorium is mainly found in beach sands of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
  • Important nuclear power plants in India include Tarapur, Rawatbhata, Kalpakkam, Narora, Kaiga and Kakrapara.
  • Solar energy is produced using photovoltaic cells and solar thermal technology. It is environment-friendly and has high potential in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
  • Wind, tidal, geothermal and bio-energy are important alternatives:
    i. Wind energy is developed in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
    ii. Geothermal plant exists at Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh).
    iii. Bio-energy uses waste to produce energy (example: Okhla, Delhi).
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Conservation of Mineral Resources

  • Sustainable development means balancing economic growth with environmental protection to meet the needs of present and future generations.
  • Traditional resource use creates large amounts of waste and environmental problems, so conservation of resources is necessary.
  • Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, wave and geothermal energy should be promoted as they are inexhaustible and eco-friendly.
  • Recycling of metals, especially using scrap of copper, lead and zinc, is important because India has limited reserves of these minerals.
  • Use of substitutes and reduction in export of scarce and strategic minerals will help conserve resources for a longer time.
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