To explain: The reason behind the fossil fuels being the most prevalent source of energy, the formation of fossil fuels and the reason behind considering the fossil fuels as nonrenewable.
Answer to Problem 1TYC
As the fossil fuels are the highly combustible compounds which are formed from the organic matter which buried thousands of years ago, they store a large amount of energy. Even small quantity of fossil fuels produces a large amount of energy. Thus, the production of fossil fuels requires a lot of time and is considered as nonrenewable.
The production of fossil fuels requires specific environmental condition such as anaerobic conditions, pressure, temperature, and time; these are formed in specific location. The buried trees, phytoplankton, and zooplanktons undergo anaerobic decomposition which leads to the formation of kerogen. The pressure and heat alter the kerogen. The fossil fuels are formed by the decomposition of organic matter in absence of oxygen.
Explanation of Solution
The ultimate source of energy for all the living beings present on Earth is Sun. The solar radiation of the sun drives the water cycle, wind, photosynthesis and plants’ growth. The plants provide woods and biomass. The plants and organisms die, they get buried inside the sediments and their chemical energy is converted to fossil fuels.
The fossil fuels are the highly combustible compounds, which are formed by the burying of the dead organisms. The synthesis of fossil fuel takes thousands to millions of years. The reason behind the fossils being most prevalent source of energy is that they store a high amount of energy in them, which makes them efficient in burning, storing and shipping.
The fossil fuels are formed when the trees fell into the lakes or swamps and get buried inside the sediments or when the zooplanktons and the phytoplankton move to the floor of the oceans and get buried. The organic matter in the phytoplankton, zooplankton and the plants decompose in the anaerobic condition under the sediments, which leads to the formation of kerogen.
The fossil fuel formation requires certain specific environmental condition such as the anaerobic condition. Such kinds of conditions are present only in shallow seas, swamps, and lakes. The conversion of the organic matter to coal, crude oil, or natural gas depends on the chemical composition of matter, temperature, time, and presence, or absence of anaerobic decomposers.
When there occurs little decomposition of the organic matter because of the tight packing, coal is formed. The natural gas and crude oil are formed in the porous rock layers beneath the impervious layer and are formed because of the geothermal heating.
There are three different forms of fossil fuels which are utilized by humans, namely coal, oil and natural gas. These are produced from natural process and their production takes a very long time and once they will get depleted then, they will not be replaced within stipulated time period. To produce one gallon of natural oil, the biosphere takes thousands of years.
Want to see more full solutions like this?
Chapter 15 Solutions
Pearson eText Essential Environment: The Science Behind the Stories -- Instant Access (Pearson+)
- At the large scale of the major ocean basins, do ocean currents tend to flow in a cyclonic or anti-cyclonic direction? How is this evidenced in the map of average sea-surface temperatures belowarrow_forwardThe map below shows sea-surface temperature (SST) anomalies during El Niño years. Please explain what is meant by “anomaly”. In El Niño years, which side (east or west) of the tropical Pacific Ocean experiences anomalously high precipitation totals and which side experiences anomalously low precipitation totals? Why?arrow_forwardWhen a body of cold air near earth’s surface moves into a region occupied by warmer air, the point of intersection is known as a cold front. What does this do to the vertical motion of the warm air and why? What does this do to surface pressure ahead of the cold front and why ?Does this tend to instigate cyclonic or anti-cyclonic atmospheric rotation ? Does this rotation tend to bring relatively warm air toward the poles or toward the lower latitudesarrow_forward
- As the atmosphere and ocean move, they are deflected due to the spin of the earth. Is the deflection to the right or to the left in the Northern Hemisphere? Is this the same in the Southern Hemisphere ? In both hemispheres, a low pressure will instigate cyclonic flow. In the Northern Hemisphere, does cyclonic flow circulate in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction and whyarrow_forwardIs the seasonal cycle in temperature (temperature difference between warmest and coolest season) stronger in the tropics or high latitudes, and why ?How about in “maritime” areas that are regularly exposed to air that was recently over the ocean versus more continental areas, and why?arrow_forwardThe image shows the two different crusts on earth. Fill in the blanks with short answers (numbered as 1,2,3, and 4) for the rock types and the name of the crust. Question 3 options: Blank # 1 Blank # 2 Blank # 3 Blank # 4arrow_forward
- you are working on a crew and you overhear one of the people on the crew tell a member of the general public something that is not true. what do you do?arrow_forwardResearch question ideas for Benthic invertebrates as an indicator species for climate change, mapping changes in ecosystems (Historical Analysis & GIS) use where questionsarrow_forwardResearch question ideas for Benthic invertebrates as an indicator species for climate change, mapping changes in ecosystems (Historical Analysis & GIS) use where questionsarrow_forward
- Brief background for supporting of efforts should be made to create distance and separate crops that produce pollutants such as ecoli (i.e. animal farming) from crops that don’t (i.e. lettuce) to protect these latter crops despite the extra costs and logistical challenges.arrow_forwardOpening statement for supporting of efforts should be made to create distance and separate crops that produce pollutants such as ecoli (i.e. animal farming) from crops that don’t (i.e. lettuce) to protect these lattercrops despite the extra costs and logistical challenges.arrow_forwardInstructions Chapter 1. Philosophy and Fundamental concepts In this chapter, we discussed the five fundamental concepts of environmental geology: human population growth, sustainability, systems and change, hazardous Earth processes, and scientific knowledge and values. One interesting analogy for Earth is the Gaia hypothesis, which proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings to form a synergistic, self-regulating system that helps maintain and sustain conditions for life on the planet. Now my question is Do you think the Earth is a living organism? Why or why not? I understand that many students use generative AI to assist with homework. While AI is undoubtedly a valuable tool for providing information, I believe that human judgment and analytical skills surpass what AI can achieve. My hope is that these assignments will help develop and strengthen your critical thinking skills. Here are answers from Chatgpt: "Do you think the Earth is a…arrow_forward
Applications and Investigations in Earth Science ...Earth ScienceISBN:9780134746241Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. TasaPublisher:PEARSON
Exercises for Weather & Climate (9th Edition)Earth ScienceISBN:9780134041360Author:Greg CarbonePublisher:PEARSON
Environmental ScienceEarth ScienceISBN:9781260153125Author:William P Cunningham Prof., Mary Ann Cunningham ProfessorPublisher:McGraw-Hill Education
Earth Science (15th Edition)Earth ScienceISBN:9780134543536Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. TasaPublisher:PEARSON
Environmental Science (MindTap Course List)Earth ScienceISBN:9781337569613Author:G. Tyler Miller, Scott SpoolmanPublisher:Cengage Learning
Physical GeologyEarth ScienceISBN:9781259916823Author:Plummer, Charles C., CARLSON, Diane H., Hammersley, LisaPublisher:Mcgraw-hill Education,