Creation, Uses and Future of Fossil Fuels
When plant material dies, and is buried where there is little oxygen to break it down, their chemical bonds retain the energy that began as sunlight and break down in a different kind of way. If enough carbon rich matter is buried deep enough, for long enough, the earth’s heat and pressure turn it into fossil fuel. Varied temperature, depth, time and material will determine the type of fossil fuel: e.g. woody plants=coal, algae=oil and a combination of both =natural gas. Fossil Fuels were formed over a few hundred million years, yet we are trying to burn them in a few hundred years, and sooner or later, they are going to run out. That’s why they are referred to as a non-renewable resource. The fuel; mainly made of carbon, is burnt with the addition of oxygen to create carbon dioxide. We are reversing the process in which they were formed. It is then extracted from the ground using drilling equipment. Sent to be refined and then used in many different ways. Typically for energy production due to its ability to burn easily.
Fossil Fuels Video
300 Years of FOSSIL FUELS in 300 Seconds. A little bit of extra information.