What are Fossil Fuels? Fossil fuels are known as natural resources that are found in the remains of animals and plants that have gone extinct years ago. Main fossil fuel types are coal, oil (petroleum) and natural gas. We as humans use fossil fuels for multiple purposes. The main one are transformation, heating and generating electricity How are Fossil Fuels produced? 1.Organic Matter Formation: It all starts with the remains of plants and animals that lived millions years ago. When these organisms die, their remains settle on the ocean floor or in swampy areas. Over time, more layers of sediment piled up on top of them. 2. Pressure and Heat: As more layers accumulate, The weight of the upper layers compresses the organic matter below. This pressure squeezes the organic material, causing it to undergo physical and chemical changes. Heat from the Earth's crust also contributes to this process. 3.Chemical Transformation: Under the combination of high pressure and heat the organic matter undergoes chemical transformations. This process is known as diagenesis, during which complex organic molecules break down into simpler compounds like hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are molecules made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms. 4.Extraction: Fossil fuels are extracted from beneath the Earth's surface through various methods such as drilling (for oil and natural gas) and mining (for coal). Once extracted, they are refined and processed to make them usable as energy sources. Types of Fossil Fuels: Coal: The origin of coals are ancient vegetation remains after long staying under the earth. It is made up of vegetations that have undergone incomplete decay in presence of moderate temperature and pressure. Oil/Petroleum: Petroleum comes from aquatic organisms, such as algae and plankton that were buried in the ocean millions of years ago. They experience heat and pressure to produce liquid hydrocarbons Natural Gas: Is found together with oil deposits, they contains methane and it forms at high temperatures and pressure Chemistry Involved: All fossil fuels contain hydrocarbons. Oil and natural gasses contain mainly alkenes and straight chain hydrocarbons. Although coal is a fossil fuel like the rest, it differs because it has a small amount of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur elements. When fossil fuels burn together with oxygen (O2), they give off energy usable by organisms. These comprise water(H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) plus heat Examples of Hydrocarbon and Alkenes: Hydrocarbons: Methane (CH4), Ethene (C2H4), and Benzene(C6H6). Alkenes: Ethene (C2H4), Propene (C3H6), Butene (C4H8) + CH methane 20₂ oxygen + co, 2H₂O carbon dioxide water Air Pollution: Burning of fossil fuels may lead to grave environmental implications like global warming, dirt, pollution and breathing problems such as asthma. Flaming of fossil fuel is a deadly mix of stuff. Such pollutants are carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur oxides (SOX), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) including dust, grime, soot or smoke. Climate Change: The rise in greenhouse gasses is the main cause of climate change. As a result, there is increased global warming that causes disrupted weather patterns, melting icebergs (caps), increase in sea level and frequent extreme weather events. The most infamous greenhouse gas interferes with CO2 concentration in the atmosphere caused by combustion of fossil fuels thus leading to these occurrences. Water Pollution: The production of fossil fuels which includes oil/petroleum carries a big threat to water sources. Huge scales of oil spills can destroy marine ecosystems and they receive their share along the coasts from other types of fossil fuels in terms of effects to wildlife and human livelihoods. An example is when a similar incident occurred at Deepwater Horizon in 2010 that took place at gulf of Mexico. Land Degradation: Removing fossil fuels such as coal mining and oil drilling could leave permanent marks in the environment, leading to degradation of land and loss of habitats.