How are fossil fuels formed?

 How are Fossil Fuels formed beneath the Surface of the Earth?

Introduction

Today’s age is the age of science and technology where the most reliable and convenient to use source of energy is fossil fuel. But do you know how this fossil fuel is formed.?Let’s know the science behind the formation and occurrence of fossil fuels.

The word “Fossil Fuel” is composed of two word, “fossil” and “fuel. Fossil  means the mark or hardened remain of the dead plants and animals that lives millions of years ago and fuel means the chemical substance which burns to give heat energy or produces heat energy by nuclear processes.

Types of Fossil Fuels

When we say fossil fuel, only petroleum comes to our mind. But it’s not so. Fossil fuel includes both Coal and Petroleum. Both are the sources of energy but their process of formation is a bit different. Let’s have a glance at the formation of both of them.

a. Coal: Coal is hard, black and carbon rich fossil fuel which is in solid state. It is formed by the process called fossilization. Fossilization is the process of formation of fossils by the decomposition of dead plants, mostly carboniferous plants in the absence of oxygen. In the carboniferous period, the forests of coal plants grew. When they died in the swamps, they started to decompose in the absence of oxygen by the action of bacteria. Due to which  a black coloured substance was formed which got solidified to form coal under high pressure from the mud and water of the swamps.

b.Petroleum: petroleum is also known as mineral oil. It is composed of hydrocarbon and other elements. It is formed after the fossilization of dead plants and animals in the absence of oxygen. When the plants and the animals die nearby the water sources, they get into the water.

Slowly and gradually, due to deposition of sand and mud over the plants and the animals, they get covered with sand and with the increasing pressure of the sand and mud, the sand and mud combines to form a solid and hard rock. Finally, the dead bodies of plants and the animals start to fossilize and black liquid like substance is formed which is called Crude Oil. The rock formed so is known a sedimentary rock. This oil can be collected by boring a hole in the earth to reach the sedimentary rocks and can be further refined to extract Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene, Asphalt, Paraffin and L.P.G. gas. Moreover, there is a layer of gases in the upper part of the collected black liquid which is also known as Natural Gas. This can be used as fuel as well.

 Conclusion

Since fossilization is a natural phenomenon so it takes millions of years to regenerate. Hence, it’s essential to make wise use of fossil fuels in a sustainable manner. Moreover, this can push the energy crisis backward. In order to do so, we can prioritize the use of alternative sources of energy like solar or Tidal energy. This will definitely contribute to a good future in the future and aid a lot in pollution control.