Section 11.2 Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Natural resources such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas that formed from the remains of living things.

Consist Primarily of Hydrocarbons Chemical compounds that are made up of hydrogen and carbon. When burned, energy is released.

Coal Formed by dead plants and other organisms in swamps where bacteria cannot fully decompose the organic material. An organic sedimentary rock.

Produced by Carbonization A process by which, after bacteria partially decompose organic matter and gases are released, at the final step only carbon remains. Each higher grade of coal contains a higher percentage of carbon.

3 Main Types of Coal (the first is not really considered a coal) Peat Lignite Bituminous (or bitumen) Anthracite

Peat Not really a coal. Plant material that is still being decomposed at the surface of the earth.

Lignite With the pressure of overlying sediments, water and gases are squeezed out and peat is turned into the first real coal, litgnite (also called brown coal).

Bitumenous Coal With deeper burial, and thus more heat and pressure, lignite forms this type, the most abundant type of coal.

Anthracite Under metamorphic conditions (high T and P), anthracite coal is formed. Very high in carbon content (great for making steel).

The total amount of coal on Earth is estimated to be 10 trillion metric tons. This is about 10 times greater than our oil and gas reserves combined! The United States has more coal reserves than any other single country in the world. In fact, 1/4 of of all the known coal in the world is in the United States.

Coal is used primarily in the United States to generate electricity Coal is used primarily in the United States to generate electricity. In fact, it is burned in power plants to produce more than half of the electricity we use. If your family uses an electric stove, you use about half a ton of coal a year. If your water heater is electric, you are using about two tons of coal a year. If you have an electric refrigerator, that's another half-ton a year.

Oil and natural gas were created from organisms that lived in the water and were buried under ocean or river sediments.

pressure Bacteria Heat Long after the great prehistoric seas, lakes, and rivers vanished, heat, pressure and bacteria combined to compress and "cook" the organic material under layers of silt. In most areas, a thick liquid called oil formed first, but in deeper, hot regions underground, the cooking process continued until natural gas was formed. Bacteria Heat

Almost all oil and natural gas are found deep underground in the tiny holes of rocks. Geologists and engineers use high-tech equipment to search for petroleum. When they think they've found it, they drill. If there really is oil or gas there, it's forced to the surface.

What common products come from oil (petrochemicals)? http://www.api.org/edu/factsoil.htm#Petrochemicals

Natural Gas Natural Gas Natural gas supplies 25 percent of all the energy Americans consume. It's our second largest source of energy. Only oil provides more energy than natural gas.

Natural gas has many different uses Natural gas has many different uses. For example, industry uses it for heat and as a source of power. Power companies use it to make electricity. Many households rely on it for heating and cooking.

Fossil Fuels-Environmental Impacts There are environmental problems associated with extracting, transporting, and using fossil fuels.

Extracting Fossil Fuels The IXTOC I exploratory well blew out on June 3, 1979 in the Bay of Campeche. By the time the well was brought under control an estimated 140 million gallons of oil had spilled into the bay. The IXTOC I is currently #2 on the all-time list of largest oil spills of all-time, eclipsed only by the deliberate release of oil, from many different sources, during the 1991 Gulf War. Gulf War.

Transporting Fossil Fuels http://www.cutter.com/osir/biglist.htm On March 24, 1989 the tanker Exxon Valdez grounded on Bligh Reef in the upper part of Prince William Sound. The tanker was carrying approximately 53 million gallons of crude oil. Within a few days, almost 11 million gallons of the oil were spilled into Prince William Sound.

Whatcom Creek Fire- Bellingham, WA (6/10/99) Significant amount of gasoline released downstream and ignited by unknown source. Fires burning in isolated areas, but under control. The cause of the product release and ignition are under investigation. Three fatalities. Whatcom Creek Fire- Bellingham, WA (6/10/99) Breech of 16-inch-diameter gasoline pipeline adjacent to the City of Bellingham Water Treatment Facility in Whatcom Falls Park.

Results of Using Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels and Acid Rain Trapped inside fossil fuels are traces of impurities like sulfur and nitrogen. When fossil fuels burn, these impurities are released into the air. While floating in the air, these substances can combine with water vapor (for example, in clouds) and form droplets that fall to earth as weak forms of sulfuric and nitric acid – scientists call it "acid rain."

Effects of Acid Rain Acid rain can have the following environmental effects: acidification of lakes and streams rendering some of them incapable of supporting aquatic life; impaired visibility in our national parks and cities, weakened forest health, degrade monuments and buildings. can cause respiratory and other health problems in people,

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Video: Global Change: NOAA Fossil Fuels and Global Climate Change http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/greenhouse.html http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/greenhouse.html Video: Global Change: NOAA

11.2 Key Terms 11.2 Review, p. 201, #1-5 11.2 Worksheet Due Monday