Minerals and Energy Resources

Gondwana coal is found in India in following regions:

1. Neyveli (Tamil Nadu)
2. Damodar valley (West Bengal- Jharkhand)
3. Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro
4. Godavari and Mahanadi Valleys
5. Son and Wardha Valley

Tertiary coal is found in India in following regions:

1. Meghalaya
2. Assam
3. Arunachal Pradesh
4. Nagaland

Solar energy has a bright future in India because:

1. India is a tropical country. Most parts of the country have 300 clear sunny days in a year. This provides enormous possibilities of tapping Solar energy.
2. Solar energy can enhance India's energy security by reducing its dependence on fossil fuel imports to meet its growing energy needs.
3. Solar energy is clean and renewable source of energy.
4. The cost of solar panels and associated technologies has been steadily declining, making solar energy increasingly affordable.
5. Solar energy is gaining popularity in rural and remote areas.
6. Solar energy will replace firewood and dung cakes in rural areas, conserving the environment and ensuring adequate supply of dung cake based manure for agriculture.

(a) Differences between ferrous and non-ferrous minerals:

(b) Differences between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy:

Homogenous, naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure and specific chemical composition is called a mineral. They form the earth's crust. Rocks are combination of minerals.

In igneous and metamorphic rocks, minerals are formed when substances in liquid/molten and gaseous forms are forced upward through cavities towards the earth's surface. They cool and solidify as they rise and get deposited in the cracks, crevices, faults or joints of these rocks.

Mineral resources are limited on earth. If we continue to extract mineral at the same pace as we are doing now, they will soon exhaust. Therefore, we need to conserve mineral resources.

bauxite

mica

sedimentary rocks

thorium