energy resources final exam Flashcards
what is the difference between renewable and non renewable resources?
Renewable resources can be used over time and time again because they can develop again, nonrenewable resources have a one time usage
How are fossil fuels formed? What are the major fossil fuels?
fossils fuels are formed from organisms that have died off and taken their nutrients and formed together. Coal and oil are the main ones
How does oil form
produced over millions of years through photosynthesis - decay of plankton and algae, and must have oxygen poor environments to preserve, and as pressure and temp increases oil will be formed
How do oil and gas vary?
Oil has more carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon molecule and requires more temperature and pressure to be formed versus gas which takes less and has less carbons in hydrocarbon molecule
What is an oil window?
An oil window is the gap between natural gas temperatures and pressures. If any higher or lower it will no form oil
How do porosity and permeability affect oil reserves?
The porosity and permeability of oil affect oil reserves because the extraction process can be easier depending on these. Permeability can be adjusted to make it easier.
What are the four features for a hydrocarbon system?
Source rock, migration pathway, reservoir rock, and trap rock
We have warm shallow, low oxygen oceans today. Why are we concerned about running out of oil/gas if we have the type of environment that favors their formation?
Oil and gas are technically non renewable resources. They takes periods of years to form over a long time. So despite the conditions, our use for these new formations are useless.
Where are most oil reserves located today?
Persian Gulf
What are salt domes and how are they related to oil reserves?
Salt domes is a deposit of salt pushed upward in sedimentary rock. These relate to oil reserves because they can form trap rocks for oil formation
what is an oil shale
a shale containing abundant kerogen that has not reached oil window
short chain hydrocarbons that form right above the oil window
natural gas
process of pumping high pressure water and chemicals into a drill hole to increase the permeability of a rock while also using sand
fracking
What are the problems with fracking?
It can cause earthquakes and create contamination
Black brittle carbon rich, low silica sedimentary rock that is fossilized
coal
how does coal form?
Plant material from swamps buries and compacts to peat
4 types of coal
peat, lignite, bituminous coal, anthracite coal
What type of environments favor coal formation?
Swamps and marshes (warm climates), marine deltas
Why is coal widely used for fuel?
Due to its carbon content
How is coal mined?
Strip mining, underground mines
process of digging a hole and cutting out a deposit, easiest and safest method with no overlying rock
strip mining
energy from earth’s internal heat
geothermal energy
Water moving through dam turbines to create energy electricity
hydroelectric power
positive aspects of hydro electric power
reduces flood risks, water storage, renewable energy, carbon neutral
negative aspects of hydroelectric power
altered landscapes, triggered seismicity, ecosystems altered downstream
the process of turbines moving through wind to produce electricity
wind energy
positive aspects of wind energy
renewable, does not produce co2,
negative aspects of wind energy
kills birds, expensive to maintain
capacity to do work
energy
process using water and tidal wheels to produce electricity
gravitational energy
radioactive decay of isotopes residual heat from the planet formation
rock energy
atoms breaking through fission
nuclear energy
heat from space that can be collect in the form of energy
solar energy
radioactive decay in the crust and mantle that releases heat
geothermal energy
