Earth’s Energy & Mineral
Resources
Section 1:
Nonrenewable Energy
Resources
Energy
Energy is the ability to cause
change.
Nonrenewable energy
resources are being used up
faster than they can be
replaced by Earth processes.
Most electricity comes from
nonrenewable energy.
FOSSIL FUELS
Fossil fuels are fuels that
form from the remains of once
living organisms that were
buried and altered over
millions of years.
 Coal
 Oil
 Natural Gas
COAL
 The most abundant fossil fuel
in the world
 Estimated to last between 125
and 250 years.
 Contains at least 50% plant
remains
How Coal Forms
1. Plants die in a swampy area, forming
peat.
2. Dead plants are covered by more plants,
water, and sediment, keeping oxygen
from it.
3. Plants decay slowly.
4. Bacteria consume the plant material,
leaving carbon and impurities behind.
5. Over time, the material compacts,
forming different grades of coal.
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es0701/es0
701page01.cfm?chapter_no=07
Types of Coal
Peat (also known as “peat moss”)
can be burned, but creates a lot of
smoke.
Irishmen cutting
and throwing
peat to burn
later
Types of Coal (continued)
Heat and
pressure
change peat
into lignite coal.
It doesn’t burn
well, but it does
burn better
than peat.
Types of Coal (continued)
More heat and pressure
morph the lignite as it gets
buried deeper. After time,
bituminous coal is formed.
Bituminous coal also
contains a lot of sulfur, which
pollutes the air when burned.
Types of Coal (continued)
Anthracite coal is
heated and
squeezed during
metamorphism
and is a very
dense coal.
It contains the
highest content of
carbon and is the
rarest form of coal
due to the amount
of time it takes to
form.
Synthetic Fuels
 Synthetic fuels are made from
 coal
 natural gas
 oil shale
 or biomass.
 It may also refer to fuels derived from other solids
such as plastics or rubber waste.
 Hydrocarbons (molecules of hydrogen bonded with
carbon) are extracted from these materials to create:
 liquid fuels such as
synthetic gasoline for cars.
fuel oil for heating homes.
 gaseous fuels to
generate electricity
heat homes
Oil, aka, Petroleum or Crude
Oil is a thick, black
liquid formed from
buried remains of
microscopic marine
organisms.
Land
Rig
Ocean Rig
More About Oil
 Oil is a hydrocarbon, meaning it
is a molecule of hydrogen bonded
with carbon.
 Hydrocarbons burn very well to
release a lot of energy.
 Oil, or petroleum is refined to
form many products.
Products from Refined Oil
Products from
crude oil include:
• Gasoline
• Kerosene
• Diesel
• Candle wax
• Motor oil
• Asphalt
• Oils for making
plastics
• Oils for lip balm
and types of
make-up.