Mineral+resources+in+the+North


 * __LaurenJEB's notes:__

** __**Background & Theories**__
 * The Arctic has for a long time been unexplored and too remote to consider for resources, but with today's technology in drilling and travel, the Arctic is becoming one of the last mysterious frontiers on Planet Earth. However, still today, maps are inaccurate at best and ice floes and icebergs cannot be plotted on a map so travel is not always reliable and a simple trip.

The first thing that drew explorers to the Arctic was the concept of a Northern Passage that would connect the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, but today exploration is driven by the enticement of finding valuable resources such as diamonds, gold or oil. Oil today is found in many places, but our resources are depleting and clearly non-renewable. New areas that can provide oil for the Earth's insatiable need for gasoline is clearly pretty high on everyone's agenda.

There are strong theories that support the fact that there may be large reserves of oil and other valuable minerals under the ice. The Edmonton Journal has sources that estimate 63,595 litres of petroleum may be hidden under thick layers of arctic ice. Theories stem from the fact that there were "floating mats of azolla" (a prehistoric fern-like plant) that decomposed thousands of years ago. Since the first announcement of oil, many researchers have jumped on board with the idea and have agreed that the presence of oil is highly likely.

__The Question of Ownership__ Historically, land ownership has not included owning the ocean floor. With theories of oil on the ocean floor, debates have popped up all over the world as to who technically owns the valuable resource on the floor of the ocean. The UN is currently in the process of changing these rules, but many countries have laid claim to the land underneath the arctic circle. The land closest nearby would be Canadian land, so of course Canada has staked claim to the resources under the icy surface, but the United States and Russia have both put in claims with the UN.

__The Effects of Mining and Drilling on the Area__ Other than the fact that mining and drilling will remove resources from their original locations, there are many other side effects of digging. Mining gouges out holes in the ground that can impact animal habitats and migration routes. The dust created from digging through rock either for minerals or for oil will go into the air. When it lands in the land, it chokes out the plants and prevents them from growing. When it lands in rivers and lakes, it pollutes the water and kills water-life as well as traveling downstream to damage other areas. In some areas in northern Canada, the topsoil has been eroded and plants killed because of a nearby nickel mine.

Another aspect of oil mining is the transportation of the oil. The two most reliable and cost-effective ways of transporting oil is by boat and pipeline. Because of the unreliable mapping of the area (see background)

__Edmonton Journal__** Edmonton Journal. __Canada.com__. 2008. .
 * U.S. company lays claim to almost all arctic ocean’s undersea resources
 * Estimated 400 billion barrels of petroleum
 * Area technically uncontrolled, but Canada, U.S. and Russia all have bids
 * Belief because of “floating mats of “azolla” (fern-like) decomposed (long long time ago) and has resulted in large amounts of petroleum
 * Suggestion of oil is backed up by many researchers
 * UN trying to make land ownership also include ocean floor so that a country can officially possess the oil

Kaplan, Elizabeth. __Biomes of the World: Tundra__. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1996. Mining: o Russia: coal, iron, nickel, aluminum, tin, tungsten, gold § Some areas have killed all plants and soil has washed away because of nickel mining o Canada: gold, oil, natural gas o Oil digging: pollute water, air and land. § Dust settles on lake and rivers and pollutes them § When dust lands on land, plants cannot grow o Physically scar the land o Only realistic way to transport oil is a pipeline § But it runs across the same route as the caribou migrate along § Oil spills are often and can be extremely severe
 * __Biomes of the World: Tundra__**[[image:http://www.americanprogress.org/cartoons/2008/06/img/061908_big.jpg width="420" height="255" align="right" caption="Political Cartoon on Oil Drilling in the Arctic"]]

Sayre, April Pulley. __Tundra__. New York: Twenty-First Century Books, n.d.
 * __Tundra__**
 * “Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” – believed large oil reservoir, but also reserve for animals (much debate)
 * Mining for gold (and other) leaves behind contaminated stream

Weigel, Marlene. __UXL: Encyclopedia of Biomes: Volume 3__. Farmington Hills: The Gale Group, 2000. Results of Mining:
 * __UXL: Encyclopedia of Biomes: Volume 3__**
 * Many people are moving to the tundra because of oil operations
 * Garbage does not decompose because of the cold weather
 * It is very hard to dig into the permafrost, so garbage must be disposed of by above-ground dumps (which is ugly, and polluting) and/or shipping it off (which is expensive)
 * Geological Study of Canad**


 *  Uranium on Baffin Island
 *  Lack of interest from businesses
 *  Only two mines in all of the arctic archipelago
 *  Northwest to southeast on the “Inglefield mobile belt”:
 * 1) Granite, Aluminum, Calcite
 *  2) Aluminum, Calcite
 * 3) Aluminum, Calcite, Marble, Quartz, Granite
 * 4) Aluminum, Granite
 *  Mapping in the area is inaccurate
 * Dangerous to fly and boat without proper land maps

Edmonton Journal: . Geological Survey of Canada: http://cgc.rncan.gc.ca/mindep/synth_prov/arctic/index_e.php
 * Suggested Web Resources:**

=Bibliography= __Arctic Ice Had Formed Much Earlier Than Thought__. 2006. . Edmonton Journal. __Canada.com__. 2008. . Kaplan, Elizabeth. __Biomes of the World: Tundra__. New York: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 1996. Keith Dewing, Elizabeth Turner, and J.C. Harrison. __Geological Survey of Canada__. . Natural Resources Canada. __The New Geological Map of the Arctic__. . Sayre, April Pulley. __Tundra__. New York: Twenty-First Century Books, n.d. Walker, Denise. __Core Chemistry: Geological Change__. North Manako: Smart Apple Media, 2008. Weigel, Marlene. __UXL: Encyclopedia of Biomes: Volume 3__. Farmington Hills: The Gale Group, 2000.