Increasing Demand for Abiotic Resources (DP IB Geography): Revision Note
What are Abiotic Resources?
Abiotic resources
Abiotic resources are non-living resources
In the ocean, the main abiotic resources are oil, gas and minerals
Oil and gas
The ocean houses tonnes of oil and gas, most of which is entirely untouched
Oil and gas can be found under the continental shelf
The Persian Gulf houses over ⅔ of the world’s oil reserves
Offshore drilling pumps oil and gas to the surface from deeper ocean reserves
Infrastructure like rigs and pipelines are vital for collecting and transporting oil and gas
The process of oil and gas extraction from the ocean
The process of oil and gas extraction from the ocean
Minerals
Oceans house all sorts of minerals in different layers of the ocean
Gold, copper, lead, silver, zinc and even diamonds are found on the ocean floor. They lie in the sediments transported by wind, ocean currents and even melted icebergs
Sulphur deposits can be found in deep rift valleys or ocean ridges
Many minerals wash into oceans from the land, so they can be found near the coastline
Some are much further away. Mineral-rich (like iron or cobalt) nodules cover the abyssal plain
Deep-sea dredging/vacuuming extracts these minerals
Gravel and salt are also extracted from oceans.
In flatter areas, water evaporates, leaving behind gravel and salt deposits
We use sea salt in our everyday cooking
Gravel extracts are used to make concrete or cement for infrastructure
Causes of Increased Demand
Demand for abiotic resources is increasing
As our world grows and technology improves, demand will rise
Increased use
As economies develop further, demand for oil and gas increases
Oil and gas are the building blocks of industrialised nations. They are vital resources for everything – whether that be cooking a meal or the entire globalisation process
Even with the move towards cleaner energy, many of the products we use in our daily life come from oil
For most countries, oil and gas are still the main source of fuel and energy
Seasonality can influence increased demand. In wintertime, we use gas for heating and in summertime, we use it for cooling e.g. power plants
Cleaner energy resources require metals from deep ocean stores e.g. electric cars or wind turbines
Those ignoring climate warnings continue to extract deep oil and gas reserves
Technology
Technology needs abiotic resources
We use deep-ocean minerals for everything in our daily lives, from small wiring to plane engines
We will even require deep sea minerals to build clean energy technologies
Improvement in technology has made it significantly easier to extract abiotic resources
Monitoring seismic activity to extract oil is becoming more advanced
Underwater models can make it easier to extract materials
Automated drilling can increase the speed of extraction
Sensors for collecting important data are now much cheaper
Cloud computing makes it easier to deal with masses of data to increase efficiency
Consequences of Increased Demand
Positive and negative consequences of the increasing demand for abiotic resources
| Positive consequences | Negative consequences |
|---|---|---|
Economic | With the advancement of extraction and monitoring technologies, it is much more efficient Oil, gas and mineral extraction is vital for the global economy and for the individual economies of nations It provides employment in a large industry | A drop in mineral worth causes net losses Demand may reduce as demand for greener resources rise Technological malfunctions can be incredibly costly |
Environment | Minerals in the ocean are vital for the future of clean energy production Ocean extraction avoids major land alteration issues or deforestation, unlike terrestrial extraction The action of deep-sea mining causes less carbon emissions than terrestrial mining | Contamination from oil spills is harmful to marine biodiversity and can affect coastlines Oil spills damage coral reefs Burning of oil and gas is one of the main causes of climate change Oil supply will be depleted in some areas. This leads to exploration in more remote and protected areas, like the Arctic The ocean floor can be a turbulent environment. Mining for reserves may trigger earthquakes or tsunamis The ocean is an unknown environment – we don’t know what kind of damage or species loss is occurring as a result |
Geopolitical | Countries may collaborate in utilising abiotic resources, forming diplomatic relationships and increasing security Extracting resources can also bring power to a country. It is a strategic way of forming close relationships and allies Vital trade and cooperation networks form through ocean extraction | There are few regulations around deep-sea mining, which can cause geopolitical disputes Problems may arise from territory disputes. Many countries aim to claim territory with rich resources, like the Arctic Countries may extend their EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) to mine new, untouched areas of the ocean Other countries can dispute this with the UN, causing tensions or even conflict Indigenous populations are also put at risk by offshore exploration, e.g. displacement Environmental damage from ocean extraction leads to tensions over sustainability and conservation |
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