environmental hw
TESTING YOUR COMPREHENSION
1) Why are fossil fuels our most prevalent source of energy today? Why are they considered nonrenewable sources of energy? Today, the three main fossil fuels that are in demand are oil, coal and natural gas. These fossil fuels are prevalent because they are efficient to burn, ship, and store based on high energy content. Fossil fuels also provide for our daily needs such as transportation, heating, cooking and electricity. Based on our current rates of consumption, we will use up the Earth’s store of fossil fuels faster than created therefore making it a nonrenewable source of energy. After fossil fuels are created and depleted, they cannot be replaced in our civilization. This extremely long process takes thousands of years and if we were to replenish the depleted fossil fuels it would take millions of years.
2) How are fossil fuels formed? How do environmental conditions determine what type of fossil fuel is formed in a given location? Why are fossil fuels often concentrated in localized deposits?
Fossil fuels form by preserving the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. This organic matter then undergoes a slow process of anaerobic decomposition under sediments which form kerogen. After this, geothermal heating and pressure take action to change kerogen to create crude oil and thermogenic natural gas. As a result crude oil and gas rest in porous rock layers. Lastly, coal is formed when plant matter is compacted very tightly that there is little decomposed. Environmental conditions determine what type of fossil fuel is formed in a given location by studying the chemical composition of the starting material, checking the temperatures and pressures of the material, any presence or absence of anaerobic decomposers, and how much time it takes. Fossil fuels are concentrated in localized deposits due to the uneven distribution on earth’s surface because some parts of the world contain more fossil fuels than others. The duration of a
1) Why are fossil fuels our most prevalent source of energy today? Why are they considered nonrenewable sources of energy? Today, the three main fossil fuels that are in demand are oil, coal and natural gas. These fossil fuels are prevalent because they are efficient to burn, ship, and store based on high energy content. Fossil fuels also provide for our daily needs such as transportation, heating, cooking and electricity. Based on our current rates of consumption, we will use up the Earth’s store of fossil fuels faster than created therefore making it a nonrenewable source of energy. After fossil fuels are created and depleted, they cannot be replaced in our civilization. This extremely long process takes thousands of years and if we were to replenish the depleted fossil fuels it would take millions of years.
2) How are fossil fuels formed? How do environmental conditions determine what type of fossil fuel is formed in a given location? Why are fossil fuels often concentrated in localized deposits?
Fossil fuels form by preserving the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. This organic matter then undergoes a slow process of anaerobic decomposition under sediments which form kerogen. After this, geothermal heating and pressure take action to change kerogen to create crude oil and thermogenic natural gas. As a result crude oil and gas rest in porous rock layers. Lastly, coal is formed when plant matter is compacted very tightly that there is little decomposed. Environmental conditions determine what type of fossil fuel is formed in a given location by studying the chemical composition of the starting material, checking the temperatures and pressures of the material, any presence or absence of anaerobic decomposers, and how much time it takes. Fossil fuels are concentrated in localized deposits due to the uneven distribution on earth’s surface because some parts of the world contain more fossil fuels than others. The duration of a