Extracting bitumen and heavy oils from the tar sands requires pit mining or surface mining processing the ore with water, steam, and caustic soda and storing the toxic by-products in tailings ponds. The petroleum is in the form of crude bitumen, which is a dense, tar-like substance mixed with sand and clay.

They cover about 140,000 square kilometres of boreal forest and muskeg, largely in the Athabasca River basin.

The Alberta tar sands (or bituminous sands) in the northeast of the province have been recognized as an important petroleum resource since the 19th century when the first extensive surveys were made. Its population grew by 29% between 20, and by 23% between 20. Fort McMurray, Alberta, is the hub that services the Athabasca Tar Sands. Introduction to Population, Urbanization, and the Environment Figure 20.2. Describe climate change and its importance.Understand the challenges presented by pollution, garbage, e-waste, and toxic hazards.Apply the concept of carrying capacity to environmental concerns.Discuss urbanization from various sociological perspectives.

Understand the function of suburbs, exurbs, and concentric zones.Describe the process of urbanization in Canada.Be familiar with current population trends and patterns.Describe a variety of demographic theories, such as Malthusian, cornucopian, zero population growth, and demographic transition theories.Understand demographic measurements, such as fertility and mortality rates.

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