Across
- 1. A scale used to measure the relative hardness of minerals, ranging from 1 (softest, talc) to 10 (hardest, diamond).
- 5. An underground pool of hydrocarbons trapped in porous rock formations, typically found in sedimentary basins and extracted through drilling techniques such as fracking and conventional drilling
- 7. The appearance or quality of light reflected from the surface of a mineral, categorized as metallic or non-metallic.
- 8. The process by which soil is moved from one place to another, typically by wind or water, often accelerated by human activities such as deforestation and agriculture
- 9. the tendency of a mineral to break along planes of weakness, producing smooth surfaces
- 13. The process by which plant material is buried and subjected to high pressure and temperature over millions of years, transforming it into coal, a combustible sedimentary rock
- 14. A boundary where two tectonic plates slide past each other horizontally, causing friction and producing earthquakes.
- 16. Mining conducted underground to extract minerals or resources located deep within the Earth's crust, such as coal, gold, and copper_
- 18. The process of restoring land affected by mining activities to a condition suitable for other land uses, such as agriculture or wildlife habitat restoration
- 19. Energy derived from the sun's radiation, which can be converted into electricity using photovoltaic cells or used directly for heating and lighting through solar thermal systems_
- 20. Renewable energy derived from organic materials such as crop residues, wood, agricultural waste, and dedicated energy crops, which can be burned directly for heat or converted into biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel_
- 22. A boundary where two tectonic plates move away from each other, leading to the formation of new crust as magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap.
Down
- 2. A boundary where two tectonic plates move toward each other, resulting in the collision or subduction of one plate beneath the other, often causing earthquakes and volcanic activity.
- 3. The hypothesis proposed by Alfred Wegener suggesting that continents were once joined together in a single landmass called Pangaea and have since drifted apart.
- 4. A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil, which affects nutrient availability and microbial activity, crucial for plant growth
- 6. The decline in soil quality due to factors such as erosion, compaction, nutrient depletion, pollution, and loss of organic matter, leading to decreased productivity and ecosystem services
- 10. describes the way a mineral breaks irregularly, without a distinct pattern.
- 11. Devices that convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy, typically through the rotation of blades connected to a generator, producing electricity
- 12. Electricity generated by harnessing the gravitational force of falling or flowing water, typically through the construction of dams and water turbines
- 15. A surface mining technique where layers of soil and rock are removed to expose a mineral deposit, commonly used for coal and tar sand extraction.
- 17. The most abundant group of minerals, characterized by the presence of silicon and oxygen atoms arranged in tetrahedral structures, often forming frameworks or sheets.
- 21. Practices aimed at preventing soil erosion and maintaining soil fertility, including terracing, contour plowing, crop rotation, and the use of cover crops