This type of mining also results in coal waste products being stored near public land. Improper storage of these waste products has damaged ecosystems and threatened human health. In , a massive spill resulted in 1. The spill damaged homes and entered into the Emory and Clinch Rivers, killing large fish populations and threatening water supplies. Drilling North America is home to vast deposits of oil and natural gas, which are drilled for energy and fuel. Oil and gas extraction are key elements of North Americas economy.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico are among the worlds top oil producers. The Athabasca tar sands , in the Canadian province of Alberta, are the worlds largest reservoir of heavy crude oil. More than 20 national and international extraction projects are established in the Athabasca tar sands. The extraction and processing of crude oil, however, destroys the areas boreal forest s and diverts an incredible volume of water from local rivers.
The heavy crude oil from tar sands also emits 20 percent more carbon dioxide than emissions from light crude oil. Oil and gas extraction is the dominant industry around the Gulf and Arctic regions of North America. Mexico leads other North American countries as one of the top oil exporters in the world, largely because of its reserves in and around the Gulf.
Although both the United States and Canada produce more oil than Mexico, they also consume far more. Both countries are mostly importers, not exporters, of oil and natural gas. Oil and natural gas, like coal, are nonrenewable resource s. Global demand for fossil fuel s has caused multinational corporation s to drill in remote and dangerous regions.
Scientists and engineers have developed more complex technology to search for deposits. Oil companies are forced to drill deeper and in more remote areas to extract these resources.
The impact of these extractive activities is unknown. However, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April has put into question the safety and sustainability of high-tech extractive industries. Deepwater Horizon was an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, capable of drilling to depths of 9, meters 30, feet.
The rig exploded, killing 11 workers and causing a massive oil spill that took months to control. The impact on the environment was felt in the U. The Built Environment North Americas high level of economic development has promoted the construction of megacities, engineering marvels, and advanced infrastructure. A megacity is usually defined as an urban area with at least 10 million people. With Industrial growth caused a demographic boom during the last half-century, increasing the areas population from 3 million people in to its present numbers.
As with many megacities, Mexico City is currently experiencing slower growth than in the past. The economy has shifted from manufacturing to the service industry , which includes tourism, education, banking, and sales. More people are moving out of the city itself and into the suburb s. Mexico City is built on a swamp y series of islands in a valley surrounded by volcano es. As the population boomed, the areas delicate geology led to problems with flooding, runoff, wastewater management, pollution , and earthquake s.
Los Angeles, California, is one of the fastest-growing cities on the continent. The city is known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, with many motion picture, television, and music production studios established there.
Los Angeles is also considered a majority-minority city, as its racial composition is less than 50 percent white. According to U. Census figures, Angelenos of Latino origin account for Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is also considered one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world.
More than 50 percent of its population was born outside of Canada. The citys diverse community, low crime rates, clean environment, and high standard of living make it one of the worlds most livable cities. Engineering marvels have defined North America over the last century. The Panama Canal, completed in , is one of the most important waterways in the world.
Its kilometer 50 mile length connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Isthmus of Panama, making ship voyages dramatically shorter. Ships travelling from the west coast to the east coast of the United States, for example, cut their voyage by 8, nautical miles because they are not required to round Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. The Hoover Dam, completed in , is another of North Americas engineering milestones. Located on the Colorado River on the border between the U.
The dam is used for flood control, electric power, irrigation , and water supplies. While it has contributed greatly to the development of the southwestern U. Construction of the dam basically eliminated the Colorado Delta ecosystem, as almost no water reaches the rivers mouth. Communities in the Mexican state of Baja California are also prevented from using the rivers water supplies. Cities and economic development have spurred North American engineers and architects to construct some of the worlds most striking buildings.
Completed in , Torontos CN Tower is the tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere, standing at meters 1, feet. All major Canadian radio stations, as well as wireless service providers, use the CN Tower for transmission. North Americas advanced infrastructure has allowed populations, services, and industries to prosper across the continent. With the first underground line opened in , the New York City subway system is one of the oldest and most extensive public transportation systems in the world.
It now has more than stations, more than kilometers miles of track, and delivered more than 1. Other infrastructure systems transport goods. Mexicos state-owned petroleum company, Pemex, transports crude oil and natural gas through more than pipelines spanning 4, kilometers 2, miles.
Pemex is one of the largest companies in the world. North America benefits greatly from its fertile soils, plentiful freshwater, oil and mineral deposits, and forests. Carbon dioxide is also the byproduct of burning fossil fuels. Usually rivers enter another body of water at their mouths. Also known as petroleum or crude oil. Pesticides can be fungicides which kill harmful fungi , insecticides which kill harmful insects , herbicides which kill harmful plants , or rodenticides which kill harmful rodents.
To keep the mines producing these essential minerals operating at their highest and safest capacity, proper dust control and soil stabilization are critical. Midwest Industrial Supply, Inc. We depend on mines and the minerals they produce every day — and these mines depend on Midwest. He is experienced in operations management, asset management, and business improvement.
Copper One of the most diverse minerals known to man, copper is employed in building construction, wiring and tubing, and even — thanks to its antimicrobial properties — medical equipment. Feldspar This rock-forming mineral has particular importance in the glass and ceramics industries because it acts as a fluxing agent; this means that it reduces the melting temperature of quartz, thereby helping to control the viscosity of glass.
Lithium While lithium is most famous for its use in batteries, the mineral also has applications in the production of aluminum, the manufacture of lubricants and greases, and even Vitamin A synthesis. Gold Like its copper and silver cousins, gold has an incredibly diverse range of uses , from dental care to satellites.
Iron Ore Without iron ore, we would have no steel — and how different urban American infrastructure would look today. Park Passes. Technical Announcements. Employees in the News. Emergency Management. Survey Manual. In , these five states led the pack in mineral production, accounting for about one third of the total mineral production value for the entire country. Every year, the USGS National Minerals Information Center releases its Mineral Commodity Summaries , a resource roundup of 90 different mineral commodities that includes a snapshot of the global industry, worldwide reserves and production, and information on how these minerals are used.
Also included is an analysis of the domestic mineral industry of the United States, along with summaries of state mineral production. So today, we thought we would share the top five mineral-producing states by value from First up is the Land of 10, Lakes at number five. Minnesota slipped a place this year, falling from fourth overall in
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