Groundwater, Minerals, and Copper

Distributing Resources!​

As we've discussed in class there are tons of resources that we use daily. Take a second to think about how these resources were distributed throughout the world. While you are thinking keep Pangea and continental drift in mind. ​

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Ground Water​

• ​Groundwater is water that has infiltrated the ground to fill the spaces between sediments and cracks in rock. Groundwater is fed by precipitation and can resurface to replenish streams, rivers, and lakes.

• ​Groundwater is used for a bunch of things such as watering crops, drinking, etc.

​Groundwater makes up about 2% of the earths water! This groundwater is right below your feet in small cracks, and fractures of rocks.

This type of rock is the complete opposite of Impermeable. Permeable rock allows water to seep through its cracks. ​

​Permeable Rock

As we talked about in class this rock doesn't allow any water (Or any other liquids) to move through them. Think of impermeable rock as a barrier. ​

​Impermeable Rock

Impermeable Vs. Permeable​

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Aquifers and Groundwater​

• An aquifer is a body of porous (Filled with holes) rock or sediment that is filled with groundwater. Groundwater enters an aquifer as precipitation seeps through the soil. It can move through the aquifer and resurface through springs and wells​.

• ​Think of an aquifer as a bucket underground that holds water.

• ​Mineral - are solid, naturally formed substances that always have the same composition and the same properties. Rocks are made of minerals.

• Minerals can be made from a single element (like gold or copper) or from a combination of elements. The Earth is made up of thousands of different minerals.

Minerals and Copper​

• Copper makes up a lot of our daily lives. ​The water pipes and electrical wires behind the walls of your home are made of copper. Your phone, computer, and the chargers that power them all contain this element.

• Copper is usually not found in a pure form in nature. This element is in mineral deposits around the planet.​

​Minerals form when elements like copper are exposed to intense heat and pressure for a long time. Cooling magma beneath Earth’s crust then creates minerals. When the molten rock cools to a solid, the elements arrange themselves in a pattern. Minerals, which take a long time (millions of years) to cool, have larger crystals than those that cool quickly. Each mineral has elements that make it up.

​Copper is held inside of these rocks and minerals! Some of these rocks may be familiar to you from our lab!