Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons,primarily coal,fuel oil or natural gas,formed

from the remains of dead plants and animals. When these ancient living things
died, they decomposed slowly into organic matter. The element carbon is the
foundation for organic matter on Earth. Different types of fossil fuels were formed
depending on what combination of animal and plant debris was present, how long
the material was buried, and what conditions of temperatures and pressures existed
when they were decomposing.
Oil was formed from dead marine organisms. It was formed more than 300
million years ago. When diatoms died they fell to the seafloor where they were
buried underneath sediment and other rock. The carbon eventually turned into
under pressure and heat. The Earth changed and moved and folded, pockets where
oil can be found were formed. Natural gas is a product of decomposed organic
matter from ancient marine microorganisms. The organic material mixed with
mud,silt, and sand on the seafloor. It became buried in an oxygen-free
environment. They were exposed to heat and pressure. The organic matter later
converted into hydrocarbons. The lightest hydrocarbons exist in a gaseous state
under normal conditions are known as natural gas. Coal was formed in
carboniferous period. Carbonaceous rock is formed from buried plants and ancient
forests or swamps. As more layers pressed down on the buried deposits. Heat
reduces its oxygen and hydrogen content, converting to coal.
All fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon. Fossil fuels have high
carbon contents because they consist primarily of hydrocarbons. They are most
famous for being the primary constituent of fossil fuels, namely natural gas,
petroleum, and coal. All fossil fuels do not have the same composition. Natural gas
is composed over 90% methane which is the smallest hydrocarbon molecules. Oil
tends to be composed mainly of medium sized molecules, but can vary between
types of oils. Coal contains the largest and most complex hydrocarbon molecules.
Combustion is a chemical process in which a substance reacts rapidly
with oxygen and gives off heat. The original substance is called the fuel, and the
source of oxygen is called the oxidizer. The fuel can be a solid, liquid, or gas.
Fuels react with oxygen to release energy. Complete combustion happens in a
good supply of air. Incomplete combustion occurs when the supply of air is limited.
The heat that is used to burn fossil fuels cause molecules of carbon and hydrogen to
react and produce large amount of energy. When we use these fossil fuels they
release more chemicals and gasses into our atmosphere.
Atmospheric CO2 is rising at an unprecedented rates. Natural carbon dioxide
is an essential ingredient for life on Earth, enabling green plants to convert sunlight
into energy. But at excessive levels it acts as a heat trap, causing the planet to
warm. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere shows a clear correlation
with that rise in temperatures. f greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, the
globes average temperature is projected to follow suit. The worst-case emissions
scenario, the track that we are currently on, estimates a rise in temperature of 4.7
to 8.6F by 2100.
 The greenhouse effect refers to circumstances where the short
wavelengths of visible light from the sun pass through a transparent
medium and are absorbed, but the longer wavelengths of the infrared
re-radiation from the heated objects are unable to pass through that
medium. The trapping of the long wavelength radiation leads to more
heating and a higher resultant temperature. The Industrial Revolution
had a big part to play in the amount of atmospheric CO 2 being
released. Before, CO2 fluctuated between about 180 ppm during ice ages and 280
ppm during interglacial warm periods. Since the Industrial Revolution, though, the
amount of CO2 has dramatically increased to 100 times faster.CO 2 is largely result
from natural processes like respiration and from the burning of fossil fuels like coal,
oil and gas.
For decades, the earths oceans have soaked up more than nine-tenths of the
atmospheres excess heat trapped by greenhouse gas emissions. By stowing that
extra energy in their depths, oceans have spared the planet from feeling the full
effects of humanitys carbon overindulgence. The ocean has been heating at a rate
of around 0.5 to 1 watt of energy per square meter over the past decade.the oceans
have a huge capacity to sequester heat, especially the deep ocean, which is playing
an increasingly large uptake and storage role.
Arctic sea ice keeps the polar regions cool and helps moderate global
climate. According to scientific measurements, both the thickness and extent of
summer sea ice in the Arctic have shown a dramatic decline over the past thirty
years. This is consistent with observations of a warming Arctic. The loss of sea ice
also has the potential to accelerate global warming trends and to change climate
patterns. When averaged over the entire Arctic Ocean, the increase in the rate of
absorbed solar radiation is about 10 Watts per square meter. This is equivalent to an
extra 10-watt light bulb shining continuously over every 10.76 square feet of Arctic
Ocean for the entire summer. Sea ice has a much higher albedo compared to other
earth surfaces, such as the surrounding ocean. A typical ocean albedo is
approximately 0.06, while bare sea ice varies from approximately 0.5 to 0.7.
Albedo is a non-dimensional, unitless quantity that indicates how well a surface
reflects solar energy. Albedo varies between 0 and 1. Albedo commonly refers to
the "whiteness" of a surface, with 0 meaning black and 1 meaning white. A value of
0 means the surface is a "perfect absorber" that absorbs all incoming energy.
Ocean reflects only 6 percent of the incoming solar radiation and absorbs the rest,
while sea ice reflects 50 to 70 percent of the incoming energy. The sea ice absorbs
less solar energy and keeps the surface cooler.
Over the past 250 years, ocean acidity has increased by 30 percent as
oceans absorbed around 530 billion tons of carbon dioxide. (Thats the equivalent of
500 years of CO2 emissions produced in the U.S. When carbon dioxide (CO 2) is
absorbed by seawater, chemical reactions occur that reduce seawater pH,
carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states of biologically important calcium
carbonate minerals. Increasing acidity will make it harder for corals to build
skeletons and for shellfish to build the shells they need for protection. Corals are
particularly important because they provide homes for many other sea creatures.