Unit 2

“Fossil Fuels and Geology”

Sources of Energy

• Prior to the onset of the Industrial Revolution energy used for heating and cooking etc. came from the use of wood products

• Once the advances of the Industrial Revolution took hold, a transition occurred from burning wood to utilizing fossil fuels so as to supply energy to an ever growing human population

Geology Review

• Geology is the study of rocks and the Earth’s physical features

• Recall the solid portion of the Earth is the lithosphere

• There are 3 main rock categories based on how it is formed. What are they?

• Volcanoes are found along the boundaries of tectonic plates….lots of geologic activity there!

Fossil Fuels• There are three types of fossil fuels• All 3 types of fossil fuels are formed via the

conversion of plant matter over time due to the presence of heat and pressure

• This transformation is a very slow process, taking millions of years, and occurs deep below the surface of the Earth

• Even those these fuels are the result of plant matter being chemically altered, because the process takes so long, fossil fuels are considered nonrenewable

3 Types of Fossil Fuels

• Crude Oil – extracted from deep within the crust of the earth; liquid form

• Natural Gas – extracted from close to the surface (Biogenic gas), or deep within the crust of the Earth (Thermogenic gas); gas form

• Coal – extracted from well within the crust of the Earth; solid form

Crude Oil Specifics

• Forms due to high temperature and pressure conditions from 1 to 2 miles below the surface

• Sound waves are used to locate oil reserves• Once reserves are located extraction occurs

via drilling• Drilling uses pressure differentials to facilitate

the movement of the crude oil/petroleum from well within the Earth to the surface of the Earth

Crude Oil Specifics• Petroleum contains many hydrocarbon molecules

that have many uses• These numerous types of hydrocarbons are

separated from each other for later use via a process called fractional distillation

• Even though many everyday products, including plastics, are made from crude oil hydrocarbons, the one product that is of keen interest and under increasing scrutiny is Gasoline

• It is predicted that we will have exhausted our supply of crude oil by about 2050

Crude Oil Specifics

Crude Oil Specifics

Natural Gas Specifics

• Much cleaner burning fuel than crude oil or coal

• World supplies of natural gas are projected to last approximately 60 more years

• Natural gas has only recently become more widely used

• The U.S. has substantial natural gas supplies below the soil surface

Natural Gas Specifics

• 2 main types of natural gas: – Biogenic (Methane) - just below surface– Thermogenic (Methane & other gases) – deep

below surface• Natural gas is extracted via drilling both in the

ocean and on land as is the case with crude oil• Natural gas is used to fuel vehicles and

generate electricity• http://www.pickensplan.com/index.php

Coal Specifics• ¼ of the worlds coal supplies are located below

the surface of the U.S.A.• Coal is extracted in a variety of ways:– Subsurface mining – less ecological impact but more

dangerous and more expensive– Strip Mining – big holes are dug from the surface in an

effort to extract the coal; less dangerous and cheaper but much more ecologically damaging

– Mountain Top Removal Mining - a form of strip mining that is very ecologically damaging

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F2Hvi1yDLY

Coal Specifics

• Coal is used mainly for the generation of electricity

Hydraulic Fracturing - Fracking

• Relatively new technique used to extract hydrocarbons: oil and natural gas

• Traditional drilling is done vertically• Hydraulic Fracturing has a vertical and

horizontal drilling component• Minimal environmental impact assuming

responsible drilling procedures• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=VY34PQUiwOQ

Environmental Problems

• Fossil Fuels are non-renewable, and as a result, will be nonexistent in the future

• All three forms of fossil fuels can be polluting:–Crude Oil – global warming (still being

debated) and toxic chemicals–Coal – acid rain and particulate matter–Natural Gas – minimally polluting but

pungent odor associated with its use

Environmental Problems

• Additionally, all other minerals and metals are mined using the same methods as fossil fuels and they are also non-renewable resources

• As technology improves however, extraction methods are generally safer and less environmentally impacting (assuming responsible implementation)

Environmental Problems

• Within the last 5 years a shift in the theory of Climate Change has been occurring:– 1. Initially thought to be solely anthropogenic– 2. Revelations recently have revealed collusion and

dishonesty in climate change research– 3. More recent research is showing climate change is most

likely the result of natural causeshttp://www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-pacific-warming-

20140923-story.html• Climate Change/Global Warming will be discussed in more

detail in Unit 4