Transcript 11.2 Fossil Fuels

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
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.
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.
• 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.
pressure
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.
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
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)
Breech of 16-inch-diameter gasoline pipeline
adjacent to the City of Bellingham Water
Treatment Facility in Whatcom Falls Park.
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.
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,
+
3
.
Fossil Fuels and Global Climate Change
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/gre
enhouse.html
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/kids/greenhouse.html
Video: Global Change: NOAA
11.2
11.2
201,
11.2
Key Terms
Review, p.
#1-5
Worksheet
Due Monday