Understanding natural resources is an important part of Earth science. Natural resources are incredibly valuable to society. The rocks, minerals, and energy that humans are able to harness from nature are responsible for the way people live their lives today. Everything you eat, wear, and use takes natural resources to create. Some of these resources are abundant and replenish themselves over time, but others are in relatively short supply and take more than a human lifetime to form. In this module, you will distinguish between types of resources, how they form, how they are harvested, and how humans use them. In addition, you will discover which natural resources are found in the state of Virginia. You will also investigate the environmental consequences of natural resource use and ways to conserve natural resources for future generations
Getting Started
How much do you know about the items in your home that utilize energy. Also, do you know how to save energy throughout your home? Visit the United States Department of Energy's Power Gobblin' Game to see if you can help the power-saving elf identify all of the energy wasters in the home.
Key Vocabulary
To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.
active solar power | geothermal power | point source pollution |
algal bloom | Gulf of Mexico | renewable resource |
anthracite | hydroelectric power | resource |
Appalachian Plateau | invasive species | runoff |
biomass | karst topography | sediment pollution |
bituminous coal | lignite | submerged aquatic vegetation |
Blue Ridge | natural gas | solar energy |
Chesapeake Bay | non-point source pollution | solar panel |
coal | nonrenewable | sub-bituminous coal |
Coastal Plain | North Carolina Sounds | surface mine |
conservation | nuclear fission | underground mine |
crude oil | nuclear power | Valley and Ridge |
dam | nutrient pollution | watershed |
dead zone | passive solar energy | wetland |
estuary | peat | wind energy |
Fall Line | physiographic provinces | |
fossil fuels | Piedmont |