Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are formed from the remains of ancient living organisms. Coal forms from decayed plant matter buried under layers of sediment. Oil forms from the remains of tiny plankton buried under pressure and heat deep underground. Natural gas forms in a similar way from buried organisms and is composed primarily of methane. These fossil fuels are important energy sources, with coal powering power plants and factories while oil and natural gas are used for transportation, manufacturing, electricity production, and more. However, accidents like the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills have caused environmental damage from fossil fuel extraction and transportation.

1. By: Jackie PonceFossil Fuels

2. What are fossil fuels?The remains of living things that died millions of years ago and were buried under layers of rock and soil. As it was under heat pressure, it would turn into fuels and then once it’s burned, it would release energy.

3. What are the different types of fossil fuels?CoalOilNatural Gas

4. How is coal formed?Were plants that grew in swamps.Once the plants died, they would be piled under water.As it was buried under water, bacteria would grow on it and then decayed into peat.Peat would be covered in mud and sand.

5. Different stages of coal formationFormed at seamsMinded out of the groundThen used as energy

6. How is coal used as a fossil fuel?To fuel power plants and other factories.

7. How is oil formed?From tiny diatomsOnce they died, they would fall to the sea floorThen buried under sediment and rocksRocks then squeezed the diatoms which couldn’t let energy escape from their bodiesThe carbon would then turn into oil under great pressure and heat

8. How is oil used as a fossil fuel?Used as medicineMake canoes water proofTreat frostbiteLampsGas for carFlying an airplane

9. How is natural gas formed?Just like oilPumped from below the ground by oil rigsMade up of a gas called methane

10. How is natural gas used as a fossil fuel?Steel Paper GlassElectricityPaint

11. Anti-freeze

12. DyesRefineries and its ImportanceIndustrial process plants where crude oil is processed for more petroleum products that can be useful. Helps make gas and plastic, which we need.

13. Exxon ValdezHappened on March 24, 1989 About 10.8 millions gallons of oil spilled in Prince William Sound, Alaska Largest oil spill in the US waters

14. Deep Water HorizonHappened on April 20, 2010 Occurred from the sea floor of Gulf of Mexico Caused an explosion in the southeast of Louisiana coast