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A Level Environmental Science > Energy Resources - Fossil Fuels > Flashcards

Energy Resources - Fossil Fuels Flashcards

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1
Q

Why is energy important for agriculture?

A
  • Mechanisation and improved efficiency
  • Chemical manufacturing (NPK fertilisers)
  • Refrigeration for storage
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2
Q

Why is energy important for industry?

A
  • Machinery
  • Chemical reactions (metal ore smelting)
  • Crude oil fractional distillation
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3
Q

Why is energy important for domestic uses?

A
  • Space heating in homes
  • Lighting
  • Appliances
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4
Q

Why is energy important for transport?

A
  • Transport of goods
  • Transport of people
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5
Q

How does affluence impact consumption?

A

Increased affluence leads to increased consumption (may eventually decrease as efficiency improves)

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6
Q

How does climate impact consumption?

A
  • Increased consumption in cold climates for heating
  • Increased consumption in warm climates for AC
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7
Q

How does freshwater access impact consumption?

A

Decreased access increases consumption (desalination is energy intensive)

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8
Q

How does industry type impact consumption?

A
  • Heavy industry increases consumption (steel and mining)
  • Service industry decreases consumption
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9
Q

How does population change impact consumption?

A

Increased population increases overall consumption (not per capita)

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10
Q

What are the three main features of energy resources?

A
  • Abundance
  • Intermittency
  • Predictability
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11
Q

How is coal formed?

A
  • Decaying OM is compacted over millions of years
  • Anaerobic decay
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12
Q

How is oil formed?

A
  • Layers of MMOs are compacted on the seabed over million of years
  • Experience high temperature and pressure
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13
Q

How is natural gas formed?

A
  • Same process as oil but experiences higher temperature and pressure
  • C bonds are broken and thermogenic methane is formed
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14
Q

What is the difference between thermogenic and biogenic methane?

A
  • Thermogenic - OM breaks down on the seafloor due to high temperature and pressure
  • Biogenic - Waste material from MOs eating OM in a reducing environment (anaerobic conditions)
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15
Q

How is coal extracted?

A
  • Deep or open-cast mining
  • Drilling and blasting to remove the overlying rock
  • Coal removed from seams
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16
Q

How is crude oil extracted?

A
  • Oil wells are drilled
  • Oil is brought to the surface using natural pressure or artificial pumping
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17
Q

How is natural gas extracted?

A
  • Steel casing drilled in to the ground
  • Gas flows to the surface either naturally or artificially
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18
Q

What are the main uses of coal?

A
  • Power stations
  • Steel manufacture
  • Cement manufacture
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19
Q

What are the main uses of crude oil?

A

A range of liquid vehicle fuels

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20
Q

What are the main uses of natural gas?

A
  • Electricity production
  • Domestic space heating
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21
Q

What is the energy density of fossil fuels?

A

High energy density

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22
Q

Why is high energy density useful?

A
  • Produces high temperatures for smelting metal ores and heavy industry use
  • Produces high pressure steam which can turn a turbine and produce electricity
23
Q

What are the environmental impacts of fossil fuels?

A
  • Habitat loss
  • Particulates
  • Spoil heaps
  • AMD
  • Oil spills
  • Methane leakage (O+G)
24
Q

What is primary oil recovery?

A

An oil well is drilled and oil is forced up to the surface using its own pressure

25
Q

How does primary oil recovery work?

A
  • Natural pressure exists within the reservoir when water is present beneath
  • Recovers 20%
26
Q

What is secondary oil recovery?

A

The pressure within an oil well is increased artificially

27
Q

How does secondary oil recovery work?

A
  • Injection water can be pumped in to force oil upwards
  • Recovers 20%
28
Q

What is tertiary oil recovery?

A

The properties of the oil are artificially changed to reduce its viscosity

29
Q

How does tertiary oil recovery work?

A
  • Increase temperature
  • Add CO2 which dissolves
  • Add bacteria
  • Add detergent
30
Q

What is tertiary oil recovery also known as?

A

Enhanced oil recovery

31
Q

What is an advantage of enhanced oil recovery?

A

CO2 injection acts as carbon capture

32
Q

What are subsea production wells?

A

Extraction occurs directly on the seabed using floating drilling vessels to which oil and gas can be piped

33
Q

What is a ROV?

A

Remotely Operated Vehicle

34
Q

What is an AUV?

A

Automated Unmanned Vehicle

35
Q

What are ROVs and AUVs used for?

A
  • Used in inaccessible and highly pressurised areas
  • Carry out remote surveys and sensing
36
Q

What is the process of hydraulic fracturing?

A
  • Porous and permeable rock is fractured using fracking fluid
  • Sand holds the fractures in place to allow ‘tight’ oil and gas to be recovered
37
Q

What is fracking fluid made up of?

A
  • Water
  • Sand
  • Chemicals
38
Q

What are disadvantages of fracking?

A
  • May contaminate groundwater supplies (aquifers)
  • CH4 is released
  • Water-intensive
39
Q

What is standard gas recovery?

A
  • Allows gas to move through porous and permeable rock
  • 80-90% recovery
40
Q

What is enhanced gas recovery?

A
  • CO2 or N2 injected to increase the pressure and force the gas upwards
  • Recovers remaining 10-20%
41
Q

What is methane hydrate?

A

A crystalline solid surrounded by a cage of interlocking water molecules

42
Q

Where is methane hydrate found?

A

Areas of high pressure and low temperature
- Permafrost-covered regions
- Deep ocean sediments

43
Q

How can methane hydrate be extracted?

A
  • Inject CO2 to replace the methane in the structure and release it
  • Increase the temperature to reduce the pressure and release the methane
44
Q

What is coal gasification?

A

Obtaining gas from coal as it may be applicable to more uses (such as space heating)

45
Q

What is the product of coal gasification often called?

A

Syngas

46
Q

How does coal gasification work?

A
  • Coal is burnt underground in controlled conditions to produce CO2 + H2 + CH4
  • H2 and CH4 behave similarly to natural gas
47
Q

What is coal liquefaction?

A

Obtaining liquid hydrocarbon from coal as it may be applicable to more uses (such as vehicle fuels)

48
Q

How does coal liquefaction work?

A
  • Coal converted to a liquid hydrocarbon using solvents
  • Syngas converted to a liquid hydrocarbon using chemical processes
49
Q

What do tar sands and oil shales produce?

A

Unconventional oil

50
Q

What are tar sands?

A

Sands containing bitumous oil, a low quality viscous resource found in sand or sandstone

51
Q

How is oil extracted from tar sands?

A
  • Sand is excavated and washed with hot water and steam to reduce viscosity
  • Oil is recovered and the sand is returned
52
Q

What are oil shales?

A

Porous and permeable shale rock containing kerogen

53
Q

What is kerogen?

A

A hydrocarbon precursor to oil and gas (therefore being low quality)

54
Q

How is oil extracted from oil shales?

A
  • Shale is mined and heated at 750C
  • Pyrolysis occurs and the viscosity of the kerogen is reduced to allow for collection

A Level Environmental Science (22 decks)

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