Nonrenewable resources are formed in nature much more slowly than the rate of consumption. Reserves are known, economically recoverable resources, given current technology levels. Conditional Reserves are known resources whose recovery is not currently economically feasible. B. Geologic definitions 1. Metallic resources include zinc, nickel, copper, uranium, aluminum, etc.
Fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas.
C. Mineral deposits in the oceans 1. usually occur as ORES - rocks which contain minerals or metals in sufficient concentration to be economically recoverable. The economics of mineral resources is that it costs money to recover the resources. Geologically, the key is to identify conditions that will concentrate important minerals. Hydrothermal deposits - warm fluids from igneous activity may carry dissolved minerals, gases, or metals away to cooler areas of the crust where the minerals or metals will precipitate out. Most metals are mixed with sulfur to form sulfide ores.