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FOSSIL FUELS
FF Formation
• Organic matter is buried 
exposed to heat and pressure
over a long time
• Coal, Oil, Natural Gas
Non-Renewable
• FF’s do not regenerate within
lifetime.
• Renewable: solar, wind, water,
biomass
Coal Formation
• -Buried remains of plants
pressurized & heated
• -Coal: mostly C, some H2O, Hg
and S
• -Peat  Lignite  Bituminous 
Anthracite (add heat + pressure)
Peat Bog
Coal Formation
•
•
•
•
Please = Peat
Love = Lignite
Big = Bituminous
Apples = Anthracite
Coal Pros: Easy to
transport and safe
Coal Pros: When burned,
releases much energy
Coal Pros: Abundant
and Cheap
Coal Cons: Habitat loss, soil erosion,
chemical runoff from mining
Coal Cons: Burning increases CO2
levels  Global Warming
Coal Cons: Produces Sulfur Oxides 
acid rain.
Coal Cons: Burning
releases Hg 
bioaccumulation
Coal Reserves
• Most abundant fossil fuel and
deposits have been found
• 200 years??
Coal  Electricity (Fluidized Bed
Combustion)
1. Coal ground into a fine powder
(increase surface area)
2. Burned at high temps
3. Water-filled steel pipes run through
fire to produce high pressure
STEAM
4. Steam is used to turn a turbine
5. Turbine spins a generator
6. Produces electricity
Coal Turbine/Alternator
Only 30 %
efficient!
Natural Gas Formation
• Buried plants pressurized & heated
-Also formed by bacteria breaking
down org. matter.
–Burns much cleaner than coal/oil!!!
Methane Electricity
1. Methane gas harvested from
bacteria production
2. Burned
at high
temps
•DO
You
See a
3. Water-filled steel pipes run through
Similarity??
fire to produce high pressure
STEAM
4. Steam is used to turn a turbine
5. Turbine spins a generator
6. Produces electricity
Methane Hydrates
• CH4 ice crystals
found at ocean
bottom.
• Removed and
burned for energy.
• Cons: destroys
ocean bottom,
disrupts habitat of
bottom dwellers.
Yellow Methane Hydrates covered
with tube worms and mussels
Natural Gas
PROS
• Easier to
transport
• No nitrogen
emissions
• Cheap, easy
to process
and extract
CH4 Cons: CO2 released  global
warming
CH4 Cons: Must be converted to
liquid before transport (wastes energy)
CH4 Cons: Methane leaks  global
warming