What kind of fossil fuels are there

One of the most widespread beliefs about fossil fuels — oil, natural gas and coal — is that these substances started out as dinosaurs. That dino-source story is, however, a myth. Fossil fuels store energy in the bonds between the atoms that make up their molecules. Burning the fuels breaks apart those bonds. This releases the energy that originally came from the sun.

Green plants had locked up that solar energy within their leaves using photosynthesis, millions of years ago. Animals ate some of those plants, moving that energy up the food web. Others plants just died and decayed. Any of these organisms, when they die, can be turned into fossil fuels, notes Azra Tutuncu. But it takes the right conditions, including an oxygen-free anoxic environment. And time. A whole lot of time. The coal we burn today got its start some million years ago.

Back then, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Instead, plants in bogs and swamps died. As this greenery sunk to the bottom of those wet areas, it partially decayed and turned into peat.

Those wetlands dried out. By combining fracking—or hydraulic fracturing—with horizontal drilling and other innovations, the fossil-fuel industry has managed to extract resources that were previously too costly to reach. As a result, natural gas has surpassed coal to become the top fuel for U. Natural gas is cleaner than coal and oil in terms of emissions, but nonetheless accounts for a fifth of the world's total, not counting the so-called fugitive emissions that escape from the industry, which can be significant.

Undersea methane hydrates, for example, where gas is trapped in frozen water, are being eyed as a potential gas resource. Governments around the world are now engaged in efforts to ramp down greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels to prevent the worst effects of climate change.

At the international level, countries have committed to emissions reduction targets as part of the Paris Agreement , while other entities—including cities, states, and businesses—have made their own commitments. These efforts generally focus on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, increasing energy efficiency, and electrifying sectors such as transportation and buildings.

However, many sources of carbon emissions, such as existing power plants that run on natural gas and coal, are already locked in.

Considering the world's continuing dependence on fossil fuels, many argue that in addition to efforts aimed at replacing them, we also need to suck carbon from the air with technologies such as carbon capture, in which emissions are diverted to underground storage or recycled before they reach the atmosphere.

A handful of commercial-scale projects around the world already capture carbon dioxide from the smokestacks of fossil fuel-fired plants, and while its high costs have prevented wider adoption , advocates hope advances in the technology will eventually make it more affordable.

All rights reserved. What Are Fossil Fuels? Learn how human use of fossil fuels—non-renewable energy sources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas—affect climate change. Major types of fossil fuels There are several main groups of fossil fuels, including: Coal: Black or brown chunks of sedimentary rock that range from crumbly to relatively hard, coal began to form during the Carboniferous period about to million years ago, when algae and debris from vegetation in swamp forests settled deeper and deeper under layers of mud.

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Epic floods leave South Sudanese to face disease and starvation. Travel 5 pandemic tech innovations that will change travel forever These digital innovations will make your next trip safer and more efficient. But will they invade your privacy? The oil and gas we use today was formed by the decay of microscopic plants and animals that lived in the ocean millions of years ago.

As these plants and animals died they fell to the bottom of the ocean and formed layer after layer of sediment covered by sand and mud. In some areas where there is little tidal movement such as lakes or seas the plants and animals begin to decay in the absence of oxygen. As the layers build up the weight increases and the sediment is pushed further down, this increases both the temperature and pressure. With all of these factors combined the decayed plants and animals form oil and gas deposits.

In some cases these deposits rise to the surface and seep out into soil and water. In other cases the oil and gas deposits are trapped under impermeable layers of rock and drilling is necessary.

Natural gas consists mainly of Methane CH 4 but can also contain other gases such as Butane and Propane. Oil and gas formation stages. Peat is a very young form of coal, if left for a long period of time peat will eventually form coal.

Peat was formed by the decay of plants and in some cases trees. These plants accumulated and decayed over hundreds of thousands of years in waterlogged areas. Peat formed in areas where there was poor drainage. When the last ice-age ended and ice melted it left behind glacial features such as eskers and moraines. These features are evident in the topography of Ireland, especially the midlands, and lead to poor drainage of the soil. This poor drainage along with continual growth of vegetation, high levels of rainfall and a low levels of oxygen lead to the formation of peatlands..

Fossil fuels are burned to produce energy. In large power stations they are burned in the presence of oxygen. As the fuel burns the heat energy is used to heat water, as it is heated it produces steam which in turn rises and drives a turbine. The energy conversion goes from chemical energy stored in the fuels, to heat energy as it burns which is converted to kinetic energy as it drives large turbines and finally this is converted to electrical energy. The problem with burning fossil fuels is their effect on the environment.

As mentioned fossil fuels are Hydrocarbons. When hydrocarbons are burned in the presence of oxygen they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a Greenhouse Gas and is a leading cause of Global Warming.

Fossil fuels are also used in the petrochemicals industry, here the fossil fuels are used to make plastics, paints and even medication. Ireland has a history of coal mining in areas of Leinster including Kilkenny, Carlow and Laois.

The Arigna coal mine in Co. Roscommon opened in the late 18th century and ran up as far as the 's. Today Ireland imports most of its coal from areas such as Poland. The use of coal for production of electricity is decreasing as shale gas becomes more available.

Natural gas is widely used in Ireland with supplies coming from both Irish sources and imports.