GEOL 110 1st Edition Lecture 3Outline of Last Lecture II. Mineral RecourcesA. Precious vs. StrategicB. Metallic vs. Nonmetallic III. Potential Energy Sources A.Types of EnergyB.Energy UsageIV. Other ObservationsOutline of Current LectureI. Fossil FuelsII. SubsidenceIII. CoalIV. Why We Call Them Fossil FuelsV. Change in Character of CoalVI. Limitations of Coal UseVII. Environmental Impacts of Coal UseVIII. Changes in Coal ProductionCurrent LectureI. Fossil FuelsA. The main fossil fuels energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas) each individually far outweigh in importance the next leading source of energy in the US, which is nuclear energyB. Formation of Fossil Fuels 1. Fossil fuels originate as organic- rich sedimentary deposits2. Organic materials are the remains of plants and animals3. Burial in sedimentary basins causes the organic material to be ‘cooked’ to different degrees, which produces different types of hydrocarbon materialsC. Conditions Appropriate for Fossil Fuel Formation1. Biologically productive environment producing large quantities of organic material – typically shallow water continental marginsThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.2. Limited supply of oxygen to bottom waters in contact with sediment limits the biological activity that would act to decompose dead organic material3. Rapid burial of un-decomposed organic material provides for efficient capture of the organic material in sedimentary deposits. Burial in sedimentary basins causes the organic material to be ‘cooked’ to different degrees, thereby producing different types of hydrocarbon materialsII. SubsidenceA. Definition: the response to the loading of the edges of the continent with large accumulations of sediment. Eventually the lithosphere sinks/subsides under the great weight of the accumulated sediment.B. In the US, the Mississippi River drains over half of the continentC. One of the most important fossil fuel locations in the US is in the Mississippi River Delta and nearby the Gulf of Mexico1. Over the years, the Mississippi has shifted, creating large land areas and extremely thick accumulations of organic rich and muddy sedimentIII. CoalA. Coal is a nonrenewable resourceB. US coal reserves represent about 50 times the energy in the remaining US oil reserves, and 40 times the energy remaining in US natural gas reservesC. Coal accounts for about 50% US electric power generationD. What does it look like?1. Coal is a black, brittle sedimentary rock that is composed of primarily organic materials which are usually the remains of plants that were livingat the time that the sedimentary rocks were depositedE. Where is it found?1. Swamps are the primary sedimentary environments because the thick accumulation of plant material (sometimes due to subsidence) can resultin the production of a major coal reserve. IV. Why we call them fossil fuelsA. The energy stored in coal, oil, and gas is primarily from sunlight that was supplied to living organisms in the geologic past. It is essentially fossilized energy.B. It also took a long time (hundreds of millions of years) to create the world’s fossil fuel reserves. This means they are nonrenewable.V. Change in Character of CoalA. The burial and heating of organic material creates a progressive change from the living plant material to first peat, lignite, bituminous coal, and finally anthracite coal1. Peat: commonly found in boggy regions at high latitudes, it’s partially altered plant material, it is very smoky when burned and low in energy2. Lignite: soft, brown coal, moderate amount of energy. Forms when buriedand compacted.3. Bituminous Coal: soft, black coal. This type is the major coal used in power generation and industry; it’s also very high in energy.4. Anthracite Coal: the highest grade of coal, its ‘cooked’ at a relatively high temperature and therefore has a high energy content. It is also relatively free of pollution-causing impurities such as sulfur. Mainly used in industry. B. Each of these steps involves a progressive loss of nitrogen and water to create organic material with higher carbon and hydrogen contents and thus higher energy contents C. The US reserves of anthracite are relatively small and have been largely mined out. Overall however, US coal reserves are large and widely distributed, and is has been estimated to constitute a 300 year supply. D. North America has 27% of the world’s reserves of coal.VI. Limitations on Coal UseA. Coal is not clean to mine, burn, or handleB. “clean coal” typically refers to energy companies capturing CO2 and pumping it underground, which increases the cost of the energyC. Coal is not produced in a usable form for transportation purposesD. Coal can be converted into1. A gas by gasification, but this raises its price2. A liquid by liquification, but this also raises the priceVII. Environmental Impacts of Coal UseA. Produces abundant carbon dioxide (which is a greenhouse gas) when burnedB. Liberates sulfur as sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere upon burningC. Acid rain: sulfur dioxide is toxic and complexes with atmospheric water to producesulfuric acidD. Ash is liberated from coal upon burning, and is up to 20% of the volume of coalE. Often contains toxic metals such as selenium, mercury and uraniumF. Safety and environmental issues (global warming)VIII. Changes in Coal ProductionA. In 1949, ¼ of US coal came from surface mines. By 1971, more than ½ was surfacemined, and in 2009 69% came from above-ground minesB. Western coal production expanded tremendously after 1969 (when the Clean Air Act was Amended) and surpassed Eastern production beginning in 1999. In 2009, an estimated 58% of US coal came from west of the