Ore Mineral Security (AQA A Level Geography)

Sources, distribution and trade of copper

• A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic solid with a crystalline structure

• Ores are concentrations of minerals in rock high enough to be economically extracted for use

• Deposits of copper are found in the Earth’s crust

• Copper was first extracted and used in around 8000 BCE

  • One of the few metals that can occur naturally in a usable form

• Copper deposits are found in many regions worldwide, but significant concentrations are focused in a few areas

  • The largest copper-producing countries are Chile, Peru, China, the United States, and Australia

  • Chile is the world's leading copper producer, with vast reserves and numerous mining operations

• USA and Canada have significant copper deposits, with notable mines in Arizona, Utah, and British Columbia

• Asia is a significant copper producer

  • Within Asia, China is the biggest producer and consumer of copper.

• The distribution of copper deposits is influenced by geological processes, tectonic activity, and the presence of specific mineralised zones

• Copper has various characteristics which gives it many uses in industrial and domestic settings

  • Conducts heat and electricity 

  • Malleable and ductile

  • Durable

    • Copper oxidises by developing a green protective layer on its surface, called patina

    • This can preserve the inside of copper for thousands of years.

  • Anti-Bacterial

  • Recyclable

    • Over 80 percent copper ever mined and manufactured is still in use today

Uses of Copper

• The components of demand for copper include:

  • Technological advancements

  • Population change

  • Global economic conditions

• Copper is traded around the world but two-thirds of copper concentrates are processed in their region of origin

  • Cheaper and easier

  • Copper content of ore is often low, with large percentage of waste rock

  • Refined in situ to save transport costs

• Copper concentrate and processed copper products are traded as they are required by most countries

  • Supply of copper is often not in the same location as the major demand

• Of the concentrate that is traded, the biggest flows are from South America to Asia

• Recent trends in the global copper trade include:

  • Over 60% of global copper consumption is in Asia

    • In 1990 USA was the largest consumer of copper

    • By 2015 China had overtaken USA as the world's largest consumer of copper, accounting for nearly 40% of global demand

    • The biggest source of China’s copper imports is Chile

      • Almost 9 million tons from Chile in 2021

  • Driven by China’s economic growth and policies:

    • Rapid industrialisation

    • Infrastructure development

    • Urbanisation

    • China’s own copper reserves are plentiful but confined to small and medium sized mines

  • Increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs)

    • Due to use in electrical wiring and components

  • Sustainable and responsible mining practices

    • Increasing focus on sustainable and responsible mining practices in the copper industry

Physical Geography of Ore

Physical geography of copper ore

Sources of Copper Ore and Key Aspects of Physical Geography