Category 21 · Geography
Mineral and Energy Resources
16 micro topics in Geography for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Iron Ore – Types and Distribution; Coal – Formation, Classification and Distribution; and 14 more.
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21.1
Iron Ore – Types and Distribution
Iron ore is the most important metallic mineral, the base of the steel industry. Its main types are magnetite, with up to 72 per cent iron, and haematite, with 60 to 70 per cent, which are…
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21.2
Coal – Formation, Classification and Distribution
Coal is a sedimentary fossil fuel formed from plant matter buried in swamps and compressed over millions of years. By carbon content it is classified as peat, lignite, bituminous coal and anthracite, and by use as…
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21.3
Petroleum – Formation and Distribution
Petroleum, or crude oil, is a fossil fuel formed from the remains of marine plankton buried in sedimentary rocks and altered by heat and pressure, then trapped in porous reservoir rocks under a cap rock, often…
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21.4
Natural Gas and the Petroleum-Gas Value Chain
Natural gas, mostly methane, is the cleanest fossil fuel and occurs with oil as associated gas or alone as non-associated gas. It is transported by pipeline or as liquefied natural gas, LNG, and used as CNG…
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21.5
Unconventional Gas – Coalbed Methane, Shale Gas and Tight Gas
Unconventional gas is natural gas trapped in rocks from which it does not flow freely, so it needs special methods such as hydraulic fracturing to be extracted. It includes coalbed methane, held in coal seams, shale…
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21.6
Bauxite and Aluminium
Bauxite is the ore of aluminium, a light, rust-resistant metal used in aircraft, vehicles, packaging, power cables and construction. It forms by the weathering of aluminium-rich rocks in hot, wet tropical climates, as laterite. Guinea, Australia…
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21.7
Lead, Zinc and Pyrites
Lead and zinc usually occur together in sulphide ores, galena for lead and sphalerite for zinc, and are mined together. Zinc is used to galvanise steel against rust and to make brass; lead is used in…
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21.8
Gold and Silver
Gold and silver are precious metals valued for jewellery, investment and industry. Gold occurs in quartz veins and placer deposits, and silver is largely a by-product of lead, zinc and copper mining. China, Australia, Russia and…
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21.9
Manganese and Chromite
Manganese and chromite are ferro-alloy minerals, used to give steel strength, hardness and rust resistance. Manganese, from pyrolusite and psilomelane, goes mostly into steelmaking and dry-cell batteries. Chromite, the only ore of chromium, goes into stainless…
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21.10
Tungsten, Nickel, Molybdenum and Cobalt
Tungsten, nickel, molybdenum and cobalt are alloying metals that make steel and superalloys hard, heat-resistant and corrosion-proof, and nickel and cobalt are key to modern batteries. Tungsten comes from wolframite and scheelite, nickel from laterite and…
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21.11
Copper
Copper is a reddish, ductile metal and one of the best conductors of heat and electricity, used in wiring, motors, electronics, vehicles, pipes and, increasingly, in renewable energy and electric vehicles. Its main ores are chalcopyrite,…
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21.12
Lithium and Strategic Minerals
Lithium and rare earth elements are strategic minerals, essential for batteries, electric motors, wind turbines, electronics and defence, and supplied by very few countries. Lithium comes from brines and hard rock, mostly in Australia, Chile, Argentina…
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21.13
Graphite and Diamond
Graphite and diamond are two forms of pure carbon with opposite properties: graphite is soft, slippery and conducts electricity, while diamond is the hardest natural substance. Graphite is used in refractories, lubricants, pencils and battery anodes,…
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21.14
Limestone, Dolomite and Magnesite
Limestone, dolomite and magnesite are carbonate rocks mined in bulk for industry. Limestone, calcium carbonate, is the main raw material of cement and a flux in steelmaking. Dolomite, a calcium-magnesium carbonate, is a flux and a…
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21.15
Asbestos, Kyanite and Gypsum
Asbestos, kyanite and gypsum are non-metallic minerals of industrial use. Asbestos is a group of fibrous silicate minerals, resistant to heat, but its dust causes lung disease and cancer, so mining is stopped in India and…
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21.16
Uranium and Thorium coming soon
Frequently asked questions
Which topics are in Mineral and Energy Resources?
Mineral and Energy Resources has 16 micro topics in Geography: Iron Ore – Types and Distribution; Coal – Formation, Classification and Distribution; Petroleum – Formation and Distribution; Natural Gas and the Petroleum-Gas Value Chain; Unconventional Gas – Coalbed Methane, Shale Gas and Tight Gas; Bauxite and Aluminium; Lead, Zinc and Pyrites; Gold and Silver; Manganese and Chromite; Tungsten, Nickel, Molybdenum and Cobalt; Copper; Lithium and Strategic Minerals; Graphite and Diamond; Limestone, Dolomite and Magnesite; Asbestos, Kyanite and Gypsum; Uranium and Thorium.
Is Mineral and Energy Resources important for UPSC Prelims?
Mineral and Energy Resources is a part of the UPSC Prelims Geography syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 15 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.