Fossil Fuels
Where did the formation of oil occur in/on ancient Earth?
warm, shallow seas
What is the primary use of coal today?
Electricity generation
Name an issue related to the controversy of hydraulic fracturing
water contamination
What period, lasting from about 350-300 million years ago, saw the evolution of lignin-producing plants and the formation of coal deposits?
The Carboniferous Period
Where did the formation of coal occur in/on ancient Earth?
Swamps
Where do the majority of oil reserves exist today?
The Middle East
What health condition can develop from long-term exposure to explosive coal dust, commonly experienced by miners?
Black lung disease
What type of rock formation was found to be a great source of natural gas, leading to increased usage of hydraulic fracturing?
Marcellus Shale
What is the primary component of natural gas, making up 50-90% of its composition?
Methane
During the Carboniferous Period, what chemical compound evolved by fern-like trees formed the basis of their bark?
Lignin
Where in the US do we obtain oil?
Alaska, The Gulf of Mexico
What method of coal extraction uses machines and explosives to expose seams of coal underneath entire mountain tops?
Mountaintop removal
In areas where no pipelines are nearby, what is often done with the supply of natural gas that exists above oil wells?
Its burned off
What is the primary advantage of burning natural gas compared to other fossil fuels in terms of pollution?
Produces relatively small amount of pollution, with only carbon dioxide and water vapor as waste products
Which of the 3 main types of fossil fuels is the most difficult to store?
Natural Gas
What term describes the point at which all known oil reserves have been tapped and production begins to decline?
Peak oil
What method of coal extraction carves away horizontal beds of coal deposit close to the surface?
Strip mining
What substance is injected into rock formations during hydraulic fracturing to create cracks and facilitate the release of natural gas?
A mixture of water and other chemicals
Who was first recorded using coal as a source of heat?
The people of Chine in the 1200s
What led to the demise of the carboniferous swamps?
a short, intense ice age
What type of organisms living at the bottom of the sea can be suffocated by oil spills?
Benthic organisms
What method of coal extraction involves removing all vegetation and topsoil before accessing the coal deposit?
Surface mining
What term is used for the water that returns to the surface after hydraulic fracturing, often contaminated with minerals, chemicals, and natural gas?
Flowback water
methane, propane, and butane