Fossil Fuels Chapter 8

Fossil Fuels =Remains of ancient forests and long-dead organism In today’s society, especially Alberta, we rely heavily on fossil fuels to produce electrical energy. Fossil fuels are an example of chemical potential energy, stored energy that is just waiting to be turned into something useful All fossil fuels are made of carbon and hydrogen=hydrocarbons Oil, coal, natural gas are the main types of fossil fuels

Fossils fuels: Past to present Fossil fuels (such as coal) were once living organisms. Organisms from water and land die and their remains go to the bottom of a swamp, lake, or ocean, where they are covered by many layers of sediment and form a solid layer of lignite. More layers of sediment cover the lignite and compress it more until coal is formed. From there coal is dug up, combusted and converted into electrical energy. See pg.136 Ocean bottom Sediment layers

The uses of Coal, oil, and natural gas Coal has been used for a long time, coal was first used to power steam engines which back during the industrial revolution provided the electricity for factories Coal is popular because its cheap, easy to get, and easy to transport Compared to coal, oil and natural gas have just recently gained in popularity and are starting to be used more and more Natural gas is difficult and dangerous to control and transport but causes less pollution than either coal or oil, oil is expensive to extract from the environment, these are possible reasons to why they are not used as much as coal

Distribution of fossil fuels being used

Extracting Coal Since the late 1800s, the coal industry has been an important part of Alberta’s history. Coal has been used for such things as: running trains and automobiles, powering steam engines, etc. Coal Mining:  There are many ways to take coal from the Earth’s sedimentary layers.  Coal deposits close to the surface of the Earth are quarried in open-pit mines  Coal deposits that are deep below the Earth’s surface are dug up using networks of tunnels and underground rooms, which are very dangerous for employees

Coal Mining Near the Surface Below the surface

Extracting Oil Most oil is found as crude oil, which is also called petroleum Crude oil was initially used to make kerosene, which was a fuel for lamps and stoves. Now it is the world’s most important source of energy. Crude oil is extracted by drilling a hole into the Earth’s Crust. Oil Drilling:  Started in Alberta in 1914, near Turner Valley, Leduc and Redwater  The major problem with drilling is finding the right spot to drill, seismic surveys help determine good spots to drill

Oil Drilling Oil is found in microscopic pores. Over time, the Earth’s crust changes and puts a great amount of pressure on these pores. The oil is pushed out of the pores and into reservoir rocks. It is here where oil is pumped upwards to the surface. Once oil is extracted, it is refined by a process called distillation. It is in refineries where oil is changed into gasoline, motor oils, kerosene, etc. Lift pump

Natural Gas Extraction Natural Gases are usually found in the same places as crude oil. It was initially found while drilling for oil, but it was simply burned off and wasted. Plus, it was difficult to control. But now, pipelines across Canada capture the gas and transport it safely. The gas can be used as thermal potential energy that is converted into heat, which when burned is used to heat buildings and run industries

Combustion of fossil fuels Fossil fuels are considered chemical potential energy. By the process of combustion, fossil fuels are converted into thermal energy. Combustion of fossil fuels is a quick process in which oxygen is required. Propane is one of the most common gases that can be retrieved from natural gas:  C 3 H 8 (Propane) + 5O 2  5CO 2 + 4H 2 0 +thermal energy ***Complete pg 146: Compare Cellular respiration to combustion of fossil fuels. Complete questions 1-3

The negative impacts of fossil fuels Fossil fuels are needed to keep us warm and provide electricity for our homes and industries, but they have some negative impacts on our world, some of them are: 1) Fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource: once they are used up, they are gone forever. Only when the organisms found on our planet today die and their bones go into the soil will there be fossil fuels again. Humans are using fossil fuels at an alarmingly fast rate, thus by 2010 the fossil fuel reserves will be limited and we will have to find another source….possible hydrate gases? Or nuclear?  This lack of energy resources creates competition and wars!

2) Oil spills: Transporting of fossil fuels, mainly crude oil, have major caused problems. Oil spills wreak havoc on the environment and can be devastating. Some oil tankers have spilled up to millions of liters of crude oil, similar spills have occurred when natural gas pipelines have burst, spilling poisonous gases into the air.

3) Acid rain: sulfur and nitrogen gases are released when combustion of fossil fuels occurs, these then react with water to form acid rain  These rains can destroy aquatic ecosystems, structural landscapes, trees and soils. 4) Greenhouse Gases: the combustion of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the air which causes global warming, habitat destruction, etc.  longer summers, glaciers melting, increases in water levels, habitat loss, increases in dessert formation, increases in hurricanes, have all been attributed to global warming