→ Minerals also found in the decomposition of surface rocks, and the removal of soluble constituents, leaving a residual mass of weathered material containing ores. Example: Bauxite.

→ Minerals may occur as alluvial deposits in sands of valley floors and the base of hills known as ‘placer deposits’. Example: Gold, silver, tin and platinum etc.

→ The ocean waters contain vast quantities of minerals. Example: Common salt, magnesium and

bromine etc.
Classification of Minerals• Minerals can be classified into three types:
→ Metallic Minerals
→ Non-Metallic Minerals
→ Energy Minerals
Metallic Minerals
• These minerals contain metals.
• These are of three types:
→ Ferrous minerals
♠ These minerals contain iron.
♠ It accounts for about three- fourths of the total value of the production of metallic minerals.
♠ They provide a strong base for the development of metallurgical industries.
Iron Ore
• It is the basic mineral and the backbone of industrial development.
• Magnetite is the finest iron ore with a very high content of iron up to 70 percent.
• Hematite ore is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity used, but has a slightly lower iron content than magnetite. (50-60 percent).
• India is rich in good quality iron ores.
• The major iron ore belts in India are:
→ Odisha-Jharkhand belt
→ Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra
→ Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmaglur-Tumkur belt in Karnataka
→ Maharashtra-Goa belt in Goa and Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.
Manganese
• It is mainly used in the manufacturing of steel and ferro-manganese alloy.
• It is also used in manufacturing bleaching powder, insecticides and paints.
• Orissa is the largest producer of manganese ores in India.
→ Non-Ferrous Minerals
♠ These minerals do not contain iron.
♠ They play role in a number of metallurgical, engineering and electrical industries.
♠ Example of Non-ferrous minerals includes copper, bauxite, lead, zinc and gold.
Copper
• It is malleable, ductile and a good conductor, therefore, copper is mainly used in electrical cables, electronics and chemical industries.
• The Balaghat mines in Madhya Pradesh, Khetri mines in Rajasthan and Singhbhum district of Jharkhand are leading producers of copper.
Bauxite
• It is a clay-like substance from which alumina and later aluminium is obtained.
• Aluminium is an important metal because it combines the strength of metals such as iron, with extreme lightness and also with good conductivity and great malleability.
• In India, mainly found in the Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills and the plateau region of Bilaspur-Katni.
Non-Metallic Minerals
• These minerals do not contain metal.
Mica
• It is a mineral made up of a series of plates or leaves.
• It can be clear, black, green, red yellow or brown.
• Mica is one of the most indispensable minerals used in electric and electronic industries due to its excellent di-electric strength, low power loss factor, insulating properties and resistance to high voltage,
• Leading producer are northern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau. Koderma Gaya – Hazaribagh belt of Jharkhand.
• Also produce in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Nellore mica belt of Andhra Pradesh.
Limestone
• Limestone is found in association with rocks composed of calcium carbonates or calcium and magnesium carbonates.
• It is the basic raw material for the cement industry and essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace.
Conservation of Minerals
Why to conserve minerals?
• Mineral deposits are present in very less quantity in the world i.e. one per cent of the earth’s crust.
• The geological processes of mineral formation are so slow while the consumttion rate is very fast therefore, mineral resources are finite and non-renewable.
• So, we have to conserve minerals so that it is available for future generation.
How to conserve minerals?
• A joint effort has to be made in order to use our mineral resources in a planned and sustainable manner.
• Improved technologies need to be constantly evolved to allow use of low grade ores at low costs.
• Recycling of metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes.
Energy Resources
• Energy is needed to cook, to provide light and heat, to propel vehicles and to drive machinery in industries.
• It can be generated from fuel minerals like coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium and from electricity.
• Energy resources can be classified as
→ Conventional sources: include firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity
→ Non-conventional sources: include solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas and atomic energy.
Conventional sources of Energy
• Coal
→ It is the most abundantly available fossil fuel.
→ It is used for power generation, to supply energy to industry as well as for domestic needs.
→ Coal is formed due the compression of plant material over millions of years.
→ There are various types of coals (on the degrees of compression and the depth and time of burial):
♠ Peat: Low carbon and high moisture contents and low heating capacity.