Earth Sci . REPORT

8/2/2019 Earth Sci . REPORT

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Table of Contents

Topic Page

Introduction 1

Fossil Fuel 2 - 3

Origin 4 - 6

Importance 7 - 8

How Fossil Fuel Is Formed 9 - 10

Environmental effects 11 13

Negative effects 14 15

Three Types of Fossil Fuels 16 17

Fossil fuel power plant 18

Fossil Fuel Power Plants: how Electricity is Generated. 19


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Introduction

Most of us know the value of fuel. I will define first what fuel is, Fuel is any material

that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled

manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a

combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the

air. Fuels are also used in the cells of organisms in a process known as cellular

respiration, where organic molecules are oxidized to release usable energy. All of a

sudden scientist and other experts discover the existence of fossil fuels. Many of the

benefits we derive from our way of life, and our high standard of living, are due to fossil

fuel use. Light, heat, food, communication, travel, community -- all are based on our

ability to produce and use energy. And most of our energy, about 85%, comes from

fossil fuel. (Another 8% comes from nuclear power, and 7 % from all other sources,

mostly hydroelectric power and wood.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_workhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox_reactionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organismshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organismshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redox_reactionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_workhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy


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Fossil Fuel

Fossil fuelsare fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of

buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is

typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years. The fossil fuels,

which contain high percentages of carbon, include coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

Fossil fuels range from volatile materials with low carbon: hydrogen ratios like methane,

to liquid petroleum to nonvolatile materials composed of almost pure carbon,

like anthracite coal. Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources because they take

millions of years to form, and reserves are being depleted much faster than new ones

are being made. The production and use of fossil fuels raise environmental concerns. A

global movement toward the generation of renewable energy is therefore under way to

help meet increased energy needs. The burning of fossil fuels produces around 21.3

billion tonnes (21.3 gigatonnes) of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, but it is estimated that

natural processes can only absorb about half of that amount, so there is a net increase
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_decompositionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility_(chemistry)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-renewable_resourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigatonnehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigatonnehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-renewable_resourceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthracitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility_(chemistry)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_decompositionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel


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of 10.65 billion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide per year (one ton of atmospheric

carbon is equivalent to 44/12 or 3.7 tons of carbon dioxide). Carbon dioxide is one of

the greenhouse gases that enhances radiative forcing and contributes to global

warming, causing the average surface temperature of the Earth to rise in response,

which the vast majority of climate scientists agree will cause major adverse effects.

Over the last 50 years, while consumption of fossil fuels grew substantially, the world

undertook a transition in its usage of fossil fuels, from solids (coal), to liquids (oil) to

gases (natural gas). While coal accounted for 62% of all fossil fuel consumption in 1950,

this share dropped to 28% in 1998 equivalent to the share of natural gas. The share of

oil substantially increased between 1950 and 1980, where it peaked at 45% of fossil fuel

use, then declined to 43%.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiative_forcinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrumental_temperature_recordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrumental_temperature_recordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiative_forcinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas


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Origin

Petroleum and natural gas are formed by the anaerobic decomposition of remains of

organisms including phytoplankton and zooplankton that settled to the sea (or lake)

bottom in large quantities under anoxic conditions, millions of years ago.

Over geological time, this organic matter, mixed with mud, got buried under heavy

layers of sediment. The resulting high levels of heat and pressure caused the organic

matter to chemically alter, first into a waxy material known as kerogen which is found

in oil shales, and then with more heat into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons in a

process known as catagenesis. There is a wide range of renewable, or hydrocarbon,

compounds in any given fuel mixture. The specific mixture of hydrocarbons gives a fuel

its characteristic properties, such as boiling point, melting point, density, viscosity, etc.

Some fuels like natural gas, for instance, contain only very low boiling, gaseous

components. Others such as gasoline or diesel contain much higher boiling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_decompositionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoplanktonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooplanktonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anoxic_sea_waterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geologic_time_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_compoundhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagenesishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catagenesis_(geology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catagenesis_(geology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagenesishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_compoundhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geologic_time_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anoxic_sea_waterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooplanktonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoplanktonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaerobic_decomposition


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components, Terrestrial plants, on the other hand, tend to form coal and methane. Many

of the coal fields date to the Carboniferous period of Earth's history. Terrestrial plants

also form type III kerogen, a source of natural gas. The first requirement for the

formation of fossil fuels is a sedimentary basin. Sedimentary basins are formed when

the repeated transgression and regression of seas and lakes deposit numerous layers

of sediment. As these sediments are deposited, the remains of dead animals, plants,

algae, plankton and bacteria are trapped within the layers. This organic matter is buried

within numerous layers of sedimentary deposits, which eventually become sandstones,

limestones and shales. The conversion of organic matter takes time, pressure and heat.

Organic matter is deposited on the surface of the Earth, in underwater environments

either as swamps are flooded or as marine life dies and falls to the bottom of the ocean.

As the various layers of sediment are deposited on top, the load gets heavier and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferoushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogen#Type_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogen#Type_IIIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferoushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_plant


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squeezes down on the organic matter below. As the compaction proceeds, the carbon

compounds within the organic matter are transformed into a substance called kerogen

that contains a range of hydrocarbons.


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Importance

Fossil fuels are of great importance because they can be burned (oxidized to carbon

dioxide and water), producing significant amounts of energy per unit weight. The use

of coal as a fuel predates recorded history. Coal was used to run furnaces for the

melting of metal ore. Semi-solid hydrocarbons from seeps were also burned in ancient

times, but these materials were mostly used for waterproofing and embalming.

Commercial exploitation of petroleum, largely as a replacement for oils from animal

sources (notably whale oil), for use in oil lamps began in the 19th century.

Natural gas, once flared-off as an unneeded byproduct of petroleum production, is now

considered a very valuable resource. Heavy crude oil, which is much more viscous than

conventional crude oil, and tar sands, wherebitumen is found mixed with sand and clay,

are becoming more important as sources of fossil fuel. Oil shale and similar materials

are sedimentary rocks containing kerogen, a complex mixture of high-molecular weight

organic compounds, which yield synthetic crude oil when heated (pyrolyzed). These
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidizedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_crude_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_sandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitumenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedimentaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedimentaryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitumenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_sandshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_crude_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embalminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidized


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materials have yet to be exploited commercially. These fuels can be employed in

internal combustion engines, fossil fuel power stations and other uses.Prior to the latter

half of the 18th century, windmills and watermills provided the energy needed for

industry such as milling flour, sawing wood or pumping water, and burning wood

or peat provided domestic heat. The widescale use of fossil fuels, coal at first and

petroleum later, to fire steam engines enabled the Industrial Revolution. At the same

time, gas lights using natural gas or coal gas were coming into wide use. The invention

of the internal combustion engine and its use in automobiles and trucks greatly

increased the demand for gasoline and diesel oil, both made from fossil fuels. Other

forms of transportation, railways and aircraft, also required fossil fuels. The other major

Use for fossil fuels is in generating electricity and as feedstock for the petrochemical

industry. Tar, a leftover of petroleum extraction, is used in construction of roads.

How Fossil Fuel Is Formed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_stationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windmillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flourhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawmillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engineshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lightinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_combustion_enginehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasolinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircrafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedstockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedstockhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircrafthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasolinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_combustion_enginehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_lightinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engineshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawmillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flourhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windmillhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_station


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Fossil fuel was formed over hundreds of millions of years ago by decomposing plants.

After a long period of time, layers and layers of rock, mud, and sand covered the dead

plants thousands of feet under the earth, which fossilized them.

Oil and natural gas were formed the same way, but coal was formed a slightly

different way. The first two were formed by organisms - plankton and plants mostly

that lived in fresh water and they were buried under rivers and oceans. After a long

period of time the water receded back. The pressure and bacteria combined to make

oil and natural gas. Oil and natural gas started to rise up from under ground but then it

stopped, because of caprock, really hard rock that these two cannot move through. The

caprock holds them back so that they cannot spill to the surface. When the petroleum

companies drill down through the caprock, if they are lucky they find oil and natural gas

under them, and thats how it is captured today. Coal is formed almost the same way

but different. It was created by dead remains of trees, ferns and other plants that lived

300 to 400 millions of years ago. Coal was found in swamps covered by seawater.

Since the sea has a lot of sulfur it stayed behind in the coal, when the water receded.

Unless it is removed when it is being burned, the sulfur goes into our air when the coal

is burned, In some parts of the world there were freshwater swamps, coal from here


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has less sulfur and is much cleaner then the other swamps. In many ways oil, natural

gas, and coal are formed the same way. In the future maybe scientists will take the

sulfur from coal so we would not have air pollution. But since they were all produced

over millions of years, in the future we will run out of all the types of fossil fuel. We are

using them up much faster than they can be produced and fossil fuel plants are where

most of our electricity comes from now.


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Environmental effects

In the United States, more than 90% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the

combustion of fossil fuels. Combustion of fossil fuels also produces other air pollutants,

such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals.

According to Environment Canada: "The electricity sector is unique among industrial

sectors in its very large contribution to emissions associated with nearly all air issues.

Electricity generation produces a large share of Canadian nitrogen oxides and sulphur

dioxide emissions, which contribute to smog and acid rain and the formation of fine

particulate matter. It is the largest uncontrolled industrial source of mercury emissions in

Canada. Fossil fuel-fired electric power plants also emit carbon dioxide, which may

contribute to climate change. In addition, the sector has significant impacts on water

and habitat and species. In particular, hydro dams and transmission lines have

significant effects on water and biodiversity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_oxideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compoundshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compoundshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_oxideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas


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Combustion of fossil fuels generates sulfuric, carbonic, and nitric acids, which fall to

Earth as acid rain, impacting both natural areas and the built environment. Monuments

and sculptures made from marble and limestone are particularly vulnerable, as the

acids dissolve calcium carbonate. Fossil fuels also contain radioactive materials,

mainly uranium and thorium, which are released into the atmosphere. In 2000, about

12,000 tons of thorium and 5,000 tons of uranium were released worldwide from

burning coal. It is estimated that during 1982, US coal burning released 155 times as

much radioactivity into the atmosphere as the Three Mile Island incident. However, this

radioactivity from coal burning is minuscule at each source and has not shown to have

any adverse effect on human physiology. Burning coal also generates large amounts

of bottom ash and fly ash. These materials are used in a wide variety of applications,

utilizing, for example, about 40% of the US production. Harvesting, processing, and

distributing fossil fuels can also create environmental concerns. Coal mining methods,
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particularly mountaintop removal and strip mining, have negative environmental

impacts, and offshore oil drilling poses a hazard to aquatic organisms. Oil refineries also

have negative environmental impacts, including air and water pollution. Transportation

of coal requires the use of diesel-powered locomotives, while crude oil is typically

transported by tanker ships, each of which requires the combustion of additional fossil

fuels. Environmental regulation uses a variety of approaches to limit these emissions,

such as command-and-control (which mandates the amount of pollution or the

technology used), economic incentives, or voluntary programs. In economic terms,

pollution from fossil fuels is regarded as a negative externality. Taxation is considered

one way to make societal costs explicit, in order to 'internalize' the cost of pollution. This

aims to make fossil fuels more expensive, thereby reducing their use and the amount of

pollution associated with them, along with raising the funds necessary to counteract

these factors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refineryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_regulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_regulationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_refinery


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Negative Effects

The negative effects of fossil fuels are endless. The worst effect associated with burning

fossil fuels is the release of carbon dioxide. This is what is known as a greenhouse gas.

When released, carbon dioxide rises into the ozone layer. Over time, the build-up of

carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases causes global warming. People often

debate on whether global warming is occurring. Well, it does not take a rocket scientist

to realize that global warming is taking place. Global warming is slowly causing the

polar ice caps to melt. This is raising the level of the ocean and causing there to be less

and less land. Global warming is also having a devastating effect on several species of

animals, especially polar bears. With the polar ice caps melting, there is less frozen land

for the polar bears to roam. As the food supply dwindles, so do the polar bears. Unless

there is some way that we can reverse the effects of fossil fuels, the polar bears will
http://ecology-environment.helium.com/topic/7968-green-househttp://ecology-environment.helium.com/topic/7968-green-househttp://www.helium.com/topic/3730-global-warminghttp://www.helium.com/topic/3730-global-warminghttp://animal-rights-issues.helium.com/topic/7228-polar-bearshttp://animal-rights-issues.helium.com/topic/7228-polar-bearshttp://animal-rights-issues.helium.com/topic/7228-polar-bearshttp://animal-rights-issues.helium.com/topic/7228-polar-bearshttp://www.helium.com/topic/3730-global-warminghttp://www.helium.com/topic/3730-global-warminghttp://ecology-environment.helium.com/topic/7968-green-househttp://ecology-environment.helium.com/topic/7968-green-house


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Become extinct. It is easy to see that burning fossil fuels is bad for our environment.

The gases that are released are deadly, and burning fossil fuels is a non-renewable

energy source. When people think that fossil fuels are a necessary form of energy, they

need to look into all the negative consequences. It is up to the government to find an

alternative fuel source before we destroy this planet.


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Three Types of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are responsible for providing the energy needed worldwide for many

household and industrial purposes today. Deposits of fossil fuels are found throughout

the world deep inside the earth. Fossil fuels are the carbon rich remains of ancient

vegetation and other organisms that have endured intense heat and pressure inside the

earth over periods of millions of years. Severe heat and pressure over time convert

these organic remains into fossil fuels, which collect in reservoirs that are sought after

by oil focused companies such as Western Pipeline Corporation as well as investors for

extraction. Though quite a few types of fossil fuels exist, here we examine three main

types that are widely utilized for energy production and many other products: petroleum,

coal and natural gas.
http://westernpipelinecorporation.blogspot.com/http://westernpipelinecorporation.blogspot.com/


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Petroleum: Also called crude oil, the term petroleum encompasses multiple types of

hydrocarbons, which are compounds consisting primarily of hydrogen and carbon but

possibly containing other elements as well. Petroleum forms mainly from marine

vegetation and bacteria that lived in the oceans or other saltwater environments millions

of years ago. Petroleum deposits are often found in the same locations as natural gas,

each of which can be extracted for energy production. Petroleum is used in the

production of plastic and medications among many other products.

Coal: It forms from plants such as ferns, moss and trees which lived near shorelines

and in swamps and bogs millions of years ago. When these plants die, they are slowly

covered with sediment and over time pressed deep into the earth where they are

affected by mounting heat and pressure. Under these conditions, the organic matter

becomes richer in carbon and hydrogen, and increasingly deprived of oxygen. Coal


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goes through various stages of development based on its increasing carbon content,

and coal containing higher levels of carbon burns cleaner than those with lower levels.

The purest form of coal is graphite, which consists almost entirely of carbon.

Natural Gas: It forms mainly from the remains of plankton, or a type of small

water organisms including algae. Consisting mostly of methane, natural gas is often

found on top of deposits of petroleum due to its lower density, and is extracted in the

same process. However, deposits containing only natural gas do exist. Natural gas is

desirable in part because it burns cleaner than coal and petroleum. Natural gas is

commonly used in residential applications for home heating and has a myriad of other

applications.


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Fossil fuel power plant

A fossil fuel power plant is a system of devices for the conversion of fossil fuel energy to

mechanical work or electric energy. The main systems are the steam cycle and the gas

turbine cycle. The steam cycle relies on the Rankine cycle in which high pressure and

high temperaturesteam raised in a boiler is expanded through a steam turbine that

drives an electric generator. The steam gives up its heat of condensation in

a condenser to a heat sink such as water from a river or a lake, and the condensate can

then be pumped back into the boiler to repeat the cycle. The heat taken up by the

cooling water in the condenser is dissipated mostly through cooling towers into the

Atmosphere The gas turbine cycle relies on the Brayton cycle in which air compressed

to high pressure, and heated to high temperature by the combustion of natural gas or

light fuel oil, is the working fluid that expands in the turbine to provide the torque for

driving both a compressor and the electric generator. The gas turbine demands clean

fuels such as natural gas or light fuel oil. Combustion is the prevailing fuel utilization

technology in both the above cycles. Coal is the preferred fuel for the steam cycle

because of its low cost and broad and secure availability worldwide.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Energyhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Heathttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Combustionhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Coalhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Coalhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Combustionhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Heathttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Energy


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Fossil Fuel Power Plants: how Electricity is Generated

Fossil fuel power plants produce the electricity which is the lifeblood of the developed

nation, and we all rely heavily on it in our daily lives. The majority of current power

stations run on fossil fuels. While solar energy power stations are being developed

around the world on commercial scales, it is true to say that over 70% of every

developed nations energy comes from fossil fuel electricity generation. In Australia,

over 90% of our electricity is sourced in this way. Power stations supply the main

energy grid with electricity on-demand; that is, the greater the demand the more the

power stations churn out. The amount of coal going into the boiler, and therefore the

amount of Carbon Dioxide and other gases being emitted from this fossil fuel power, is

determined by our actions. We can reduce the amount of pollution from the power

stations by using less electricity. While we are still operating the majority of our power

stations as fossil fuel power plants this is crucial; lower energy demands mean less

pollution.
http://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/future-solar-energy.htmlhttp://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/carbon-dioxide-properties.htmlhttp://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/carbon-dioxide-properties.htmlhttp://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com/future-solar-energy.html


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References :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel

http://www.bydesign.com/fossilfuels/links/html/fossil_fuel/fossil_fuel_benefits.html

http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/fossil.htm

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/energy/ecostats/index.cfm

http://bobjent.articlesbase.com/science-articles/three-types-of-fossil-fuels-169280.html

http://www.tutorvista.com/content/chemistry/chemistry-i/coal-petroleum/fossil-fuels.php

http://www.webmutations.com/energy/reports/past/repfossil.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuelhttp://www.bydesign.com/fossilfuels/links/html/fossil_fuel/fossil_fuel_benefits.htmlhttp://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/fossil.htmhttp://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/energy/ecostats/index.cfmhttp://bobjent.articlesbase.com/science-articles/three-types-of-fossil-fuels-169280.htmlhttp://www.tutorvista.com/content/chemistry/chemistry-i/coal-petroleum/fossil-fuels.phphttp://www.webmutations.com/energy/reports/past/repfossil.htmlhttp://www.webmutations.com/energy/reports/past/repfossil.htmlhttp://www.tutorvista.com/content/chemistry/chemistry-i/coal-petroleum/fossil-fuels.phphttp://bobjent.articlesbase.com/science-articles/three-types-of-fossil-fuels-169280.htmlhttp://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/energy/ecostats/index.cfmhttp://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/fossil.htmhttp://www.bydesign.com/fossilfuels/links/html/fossil_fuel/fossil_fuel_benefits.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel


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BOOKS

Title : What's So Bad About Gasoline?: Fossil Fuels and What They Do (Hardcover)

Author :Anne Rockwell, Paul Meisel

Title :Beyond Smoke and Mirrors Climate Change and Energy in the 21st Century

Author : Burton Richter
http://www.booksandbooks.com/search/apachesolr_search/?author_filter=Rockwell%2C+Annehttp://www.booksandbooks.com/search/apachesolr_search/?author_filter=Rockwell%2C+Annehttp://www.booksandbooks.com/search/apachesolr_search/?author_filter=Meisel%2C+Paulhttp://www.booksandbooks.com/search/apachesolr_search/?author_filter=Meisel%2C+Paulhttp://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780511802638http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780511802638http://ebooks.cambridge.org/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO9780511802638http://www.booksandbooks.com/search/apachesolr_search/?author_filter=Meisel%2C+Paulhttp://www.booksandbooks.com/search/apachesolr_search/?author_filter=Rockwell%2C+Anne

Documents

Earth Sci . REPORT