Minerals and Energy Resources – Chapter 5 Class 10 Geography (NCERT)

Minerals and Energy Resources is Chapter 5 of Class 10 Geography (Contemporary India – II). It explains the importance of minerals and energy in our lives, their modes of occurrence, and types of minerals such as ferrous, non-ferrous, and non-metallic. The chapter also covers major minerals like iron ore, manganese, copper, bauxite, mica, and limestone, along with their distribution in India. It further explains energy resources, including conventional sources (coal, petroleum, natural gas, electricity) and non-conventional sources (solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, nuclear). Finally, it highlights the need for conservation of minerals and energy for sustainable development. Below are complete this chapter aligned with NCERT, RBSE and CBSE board exam patterns.

Introduction

Minerals and energy resources are essential for the development of any country. From a tiny pin to a large ship, everything is made of minerals. Our vehicles, machines, roads, buildings, food, and even toothpaste contain minerals. Energy resources provide the power needed for cooking, transportation, and industries.

All living things need minerals

Mineral

A mineral is a homogenous, naturally occuring substance with a definite chemical composition and an ordered internal structure.

• Minerals occur in various forms in nature, ranging from the hardest diamond to the softest talc.
• Rocks are made up of minerals. Some rocks like limestone consist of a single mineral, while most rock have several minerals.

Mode of Occurrence of Minerals

Minerals are usually found in “ores”. Ore is naturally occurring rock or mineral deposit that has enough valuable metal or mineral to make mining profitable. Minerals generally occur in these forms:

1. In Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks

• Inside igneous and metamorphic rocks, there are small cracks and big cracks.
• When hot, melted minerals from deep inside the earth move up through these cracks, they cool down and become solid.
• If the deposit is small, it is called a vein.
• If the deposit is big, it is called a lode.
• Example: Tin, Copper, Zinc and Lead etc.

2. In Sedimentary Rocks

• Sedimentary rocks form from layers of sand, mud, and dead plants that settle down over time.
• Minerals here occur in beds or layers.
• Examples: Coal, Iron Ore, Gypsum, Potash Salt.
• Coal and some iron ore formed when plant material or iron rich material was buried for a long time under heat and pressure.
• Gypsum, potash, sodium salts form when water evaporates in dry areas leaving behind salts.

3. By Weathering of Surface Rocks

• Weathering means breaking down of rocks by wind, rain, temperature etc.
• When surface rocks break, soluble substances are removed, leaving ore behind.
• Example: Bauxite.

4. As Alluvial or Placer Deposits

• Sometimes rivers carry minerals and deposit them in sand at valley floors or near hills.
• These are called placer deposits.
• Example: Gold, Silver, Tin, Platinum (All these don’t rust in water).

5. In Ocean Water and Beds

• Oceans contain soluble minerals like common salt, magnesium, bromine.
• Ocean floors (beds) also have manganese nodules.

Distribution of Minerals

India have fairly rich and varied mineral resources but, these are unevenly distributed.

• Peninsular Plateau: Rich in coal, metallic minerals, mica and other non-metallic minerals.
• Sedimentary Rocks (Assam, Gujarat): Petroleum, natural gas.
• Rajasthan: Many non-ferous minerals.
• Alluvial Plains (North India): Almost no major minerals.

Classification of Minerals

Minerals are classified into three main categories:

1. Metallic Minerals:
   • Ferrrous: Iron ore, Manganese, Nickel, Cobalt etc.
   • Non-Ferrous: Copper, Lead, Tin, Bauxite etc.
   • Precious: Gold, Silver, Platinum etc.
2. Non-metallic Minerals: Mica, Salt, Potash, Sulphur, Granite, Limestone, Marble, Sandstone.
3. Energy Minerals: Coal, Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Ferrous Minerals

• Ferrous minerals include all minerals that contain iron.
• In India, ferrous minerals account for about 75% (three fourths) of the total value of metallic mineral production.

Iron Ore

• Basic mineral and the backbone of industrial development.
• India is rich in good quality iron ores.
• Types of Iron ore: Magnetite and Hematite.
• Magnetite Ore:
  • Finest iron ore having 70% iron content.
  • It has strong magnetic qualities. So, valuable in the electrical industry.
• Hematite Ore:
  • The most important industrial iron ore in terms of the qunatity used.
  • Iron content 50-60%.
• Production:
  • 97% in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Jharkhand.
  • Remaining 3% form other states.

Major Iron Ore Belts in India

1. Odisha-Jharkhand Belt: In Odisha high grade hematite ore is found in Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts. In Jharkhand hematite ore is mined in Gua and Noamundi mines in Singbhum district. Main export port: Paradip port.

2. Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur Belt : It lies in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. 14 deposits of High grade hematites (required for steel making) are found in Bailadila hills in Bastar distirct (Chhattisgarh). Ore exported to Japan and South Korea via Visakhapatnam port.

3. Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru Belt: It lies in Karnataka. Kudremukh mines (One of the largest) at Western Ghats of Karnataka are a 100 percent export unit. Ore transported as slurry via pipeline to Mangaluru port.

4. Maharashtra-Goa Belt: It include Goa and Ratangiri district of Maharashtra. Moderate quality ore but efficiently mined. Main export port is Marmagao port.

Manganese

• Manganese is used mainly in steel manufacturing. (10 Kg manganese for 1 tonne of steel).
• Also used in manufacturing in ferro-manganese alloy, bleaching powder, insecticides and paints.

Non-Ferrous Minerals

• Non-ferrous minerals do not contain iron. Examples: Copper, Bauxite, Lead, Zinc and Gold.
• India’s reserves and production are not very satisfactory for these minerals. But these minerals are vital for metallurgical industries, engineering works and electrical industries.

Copper

• Copper is malleable, ductile and good conductor of heat and electricity.
• It is used in: Electrical cables, electronics and chemical industries.
• India is critically deficient in copper reserves and production.
• Key producing sites:
  1. Madhya Pradesh: Balaghat mines.
  2. Rajasthan: Khetri mines.
  3. Jharkhand: Singhbhum district.

Bauxite

• Bauxite is the primary ore of aluminium.
• It is clay like substance, rich in aluminium silicates.
• Importance of Aluminium: Aluminium is as strong as iron but much lighter in weight. It is also good conductor of electricity. It has high malleability.
• Odisha is largest bauxite producing states.
• Main bauxite producing regions:
  • MP and Chhattisgarh: Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills and Bilaspur-Katni Plateau.
  • Odisha: Panchpatmali in Koraput district (Most important bauxite deposits).

Non-Metallic Minerals

Mica, salt, potash, sulphur, granite, limestone, marble, sandstone are non-metallic minerals.

Mica

• Mica has layered structure and made up a series of plates or leaves.
• It splits easily into thin sheets.
• Colours: Clear, black, green, red, yellow or brown.
• It is used into electric and electronic industries due to following properteis:
  • Excellent Di-electric strength.
  • Low power loss factor.
  • Insulating prperties.
  • Resistance to high voltage.
• Distribution in India
  • Jharkhand: Koderma-Gaya-Hazaribagh belt (Leading Producer).
  • Rajasthan: Ajmer region.
  • Andhra Pradesh: Nellore mica belt.

Limestone

• Limestone found in sedimentary rocks (in most geological formation).
• It is made of calcium carbonate or calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.
• Importance: Basic raw material for the cement industry and essential for smelting iron ore in blast furnaces.

Conservation of Minerals

• Minerals are present in finite quantity on earth’s crust. (1% of earth’s crust).
• High rate of consumption but slow rate of formation (takes millions of years).
• Due to all of above minerals are finite and non-renewable.
• Due to continuous mining, high quality deposits will get exhausted. Future extraction comes from greater depths and with lower quality ores. It makes extraction costly.

So, the conservation of minerals is essential. This can be achieved by adopting the following strategies:

• Efficient mining by improved technology.
• Recycling metal and scrap
• Use other alternative and substitutes
• Sustainable planning.

Energy Resources

Energy is essential for all human activities. It is required for cooking, lighting, running vehicles, and operating machines in industries. Energy can be produced by energy resources. Energy resources are classified into two types:

1. Conventional Sources: Firewood, Cattle dung cake, Coal, Petroleum, Natural gas and Electircity (hydeal adn thermal).
2. Non-conventional Sources: Nuclear or Atomic energy, Solar energy, Wind energy, Biogas, Tidal energy and Geothermal energy.

Around 70% of rural energy requirements in India are still met through firewood and cattle dung cakes. However, their continued use is becoming difficult due to decreasing forest cover. Burning dung cakes is discouraged becuase they are useful as manure in farming.

Conventional Sources of Energy

A. Coal

• Coal is the most abundantly available fossil fuel in India.
• It provides a major share of nation’s energy needs.
• It is widely used for power generation, supplying energy to industries, domestic purposes. So, India is highly dependent on coal for commercial energy requirements.
• Formation: Coal is formed due to the compression of plant material over millions of years. Formation depends upon degree of compression, depth and time of burial.
• Types of Coal: Peat, Lignite, Bituminous and Anthracite.
• Based on geological ages, there are two types of coal: Gondwana Coal (Metallurgical coal) and Tertiary Coal.

Types of Coal (Based On Amount of Carbon)

1. Peat: Low carbon content, high moisture content and low heating capacity. It is foremd by decayed plant matter found in swamps.
2. Lignite: It is low grade, soft, brown coal with high moisture content. It is used mainly for electricity generation. Major deposits: Neyveli (Tamil Nadu).
3. Bituminous Coal: Formed under higher temperature and pressure (buried deep). Most popular coal in commercial use. High grade bituminous coal (metallurgical coal) used in smelting iron.
4. Anthracite: The highest quality coal. Hard, with the highest carbon content and best heating capacity.

Types of Coal (Based on Geological Ages)

Note: Coal is a bulky material, and large portion of its weight turns into ash after burning. Hence, heavy industries and thermal power stations are set up close to coalfields. This helps to reduce high transport costs and ensures a steady supply of fuel.

B. Petroleum

• Petroleum, also called mineral oil, is the second most important energy source afer coal.
• It is used as fuel for heating and lighting. It can as lubricants for machinery.
• It act as raw material for industries (plastics, chemicals, synthetic textiles, fertilizers).
• Petroleum refineries are known as “Nodal industries” because many other industries depend on them such as synthetic textile, fertilizer, and chemical industries.

Occurrence and Formation: Petroleum in India is mostly found in anticlines and fault traps found in Tertiary rocks.

• In anticlines or domes, oil get trapped at the top of upward folds inside porous rocks (like limestone or sandstone). Non-porous rocks above and below seal the oil.
• Faults is cracks in the Earth’s crust. Oil collects between porous rock on one side and non porous rock on the other.
• Natural gas, being lighter, colleccts above petroleum deposits.

Major Petroleum-Producing Regions:

• Mumbai High: Maharashtra, Offshore field.
• Gujarat: Ankleshwar is most important field.
• Assam: The oldest oil producing state in India. Important fields:
  • Digboi (First oil well in Asia)
  • Naharkatiya
  • Moran-Hugrijan.

C. Natural Gas

• Natural gas is often found alongside petroleum deposits and is released when crude oil is brought to the surface.
• Natural gas is a clean and efficient fuel with multiple applications.
  • Domestic fuel: For cooking (PNG).
  • Transport fuel: For vehicles (CNG)
  • Industrial fuel: Heating purposes in industries.
  • Power sector: Generating electricity.
  • Raw material: Used in chemical, petrochemical and fertilizer industries.
• Major reserves: Mumbai High and allied fields (West Coast), Cambay Basin (Gujarat) and Krishna-Godavari Basin (East Coast).

HVJ Pipeline

• HVJ stands for Hazira-Vijaipur-Jagdishpur.
• It is the first major natural gas pipeline in India, buit by GAIL (India).
• Length: About 1700 km.
• It linked Mumbai High and Bassein fields to fertilizer, power, and industrial plants in western and northern India.
• It boosted India;s gas market.
• Today, the gas pipeline network has grown to 18500 km.
• It is planned to expand to 34000 km, forming a National Gas Grid. It will connect all gas sources and consuming market.

D. Electricity

Electricity has countless applications in modern life. The per capita consumption of electricity is often used as an index of development of a country. There are two main sources of electicity: Hydroelectricity and Thermal Power.

Non Conventional Sources of Energy

• With growing energy consumption, India depend heavily on fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas).
• Problems: Rising prices, future shortage, pollution and environmental damage.
• This creates uncertainity for India’s energy security and economic growth.
• Solution: India is rich in sunlight, water, wind, and biomass. These renewable sources can be used as non-conventional energy.
• They are eco-friendly, sustainable, and reduce depnedence on fossil fuels.

1. Nuclear or Atomic Energy

• Nuclear energy is produced from fission or fusion of atoms. These changes in the structure of atom (or nucleus) release large heat, which is converted into electricity.
• Uranium and Thorium are the main minerals used for nuclear energy.
• They are available in Jharkhand, the Aravalli ranges of Rajasthan, and the Monazite sands of Kerala (rich in Thorium).

2. Solar Energy

• India is a tropical country with abundant sunlight.
• Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity.
• Solar energy is becoming popular in rural and remote areas.
• Large solar power plants are being setup in many parts of India.
• Solar plants reduce dependence on firewood and dung cakes. It will contribute to environmental conservation and adequate supply of manure in agriculutre.

3. Wind Energy

• India has great potential for wind power generation.
• A windmill converts the kinetic energy of moving wind into electrical energy with the help of a generator.
• Nagercoli (Tamil Nadu) and Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) are especially known for their effective use of wind energy.
• The largest wind farm cluster is in Tamil Nadu (From Nagercoli to Madurai).
• Improtant States: Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep.

4. Biogas

• Biogas is produced from shrubs, farm waste, animal waste, and human waste.
• Biogas is produced by decomposition of organic matter. It has higher thermal efficiency than karosene, dung cakes, or charcoal.
• Biogas is produced in biogas plant. If plants use cattle dung, then it is known as Gobar gas plants in rural India.
• Biogas plant is set up at municipal, cooperative, and individual levels.
• Biogas provides a cheap and renewable source of energy.
• Biogas improves the qulatiy of manure for farming.
• Biogas prevents loss of trees and manure that would otherwise be burnt as fuel.

Tidal Energy

• Electricity can be produced using the rise and fall of oceanic tides.
• Process:
  • A dam is built across a narrow sea inlet.
  • When the sea rises (high tide), water flows into the inlet and gets trapped behind the dam.
  • When the sea level outside falls (low tide), the trapped water is released.
  • The flowing water passes through a pipe and turns a turbine.
  • The turbine is connected to a generator which produces electricity.
• Ideal Locations in India: Gulf of Khambhat (Gujarat), Gulf of Kuchchh (Gujarat) and Sunderban delta (West Bengal).

Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal energy is the heat and electricity produced by using the natural heat from inside the Earth.
• The Earth becomes hotter with depth (geothermal gradient).
• In some regions, this gradient is very high even at shallow depths.
• Groundwater absorbs the heat and gets converted into steam.
• The steam is then used to rotate turbines, which run generators to produce electricity.
• In India, there are several hundred hot springs, which could be used to generate electricity.
• Two experimental geothermal projects:
  • Parvati Valley (Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh)
  • Punga Valley (Ladakh, J&K).

Conservation of Energy Resources

• Energy is the basic requirement for economic development. All sectros such as agriculture, industry, transport, commercial and domestic depned on energy.
• To ensure a sustainable future, we must conserve energy and use renewable sources.
• Steps for conservation:
  • Use public transport instead of private vehicles.
  • Switch off lights, fans, and appliances when not in use.
  • Use power saving devices.
  • Shift towards non-conventional sources like solar, wind and biogas.
• “Energy saved is energy produced”.

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