Do you believe oil is actually a "fossil fuel"?

Gomer · November 6th, 2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiliconJon

I've heard there are some fantastic sites as such in Chicago - I need to go given it's only a six hour drive from me.

The homogony thing isn't the main part of my doubt (nor really a good one, I agree), it's primarily the scale of the thing that has me questioning any natural biomass decomposition driving it. These pools are massive, something much more indicative to a geological process. I wouldn't rule out some sort of other type of biological process ( as something in the ancient past when the earth's atmosphere was something completely different ), but I can't fathom the decomposition of some ungodly huge graves of plant and flesh.

The exhibit will help you greatly with the scale of everything and the density of the plant and aquatic biomass that existed.

Google maps has you at 4-1/2 hours only! Get going =) Check out the captured German U-Boat at Science and Industry as well. What a trophy!

SiliconJon · November 6th, 2009, 05:18 PM

Not this weekend - gotta clean & treat the deck and visit some old friends. If we don't go to Hawaii in Feb we'll hit Chicago that extended weekend, otherwise I'm probably waiting for warmer weather for that kneck of the woods. We're going to Sandusky in July/Aug, so we may wait and make Chicago a pit stop on the way back home. Yeah, that sounds like a better idea.

Theophylact · November 6th, 2009, 10:18 PM

Oil? Fossil. Coal? Certainly fossil. Methane? Well... there's an awful lot of primordial methane in the Solar System. Thomas Gold and Freeman Dyson certainly thought that methane had abiogenic origins. Me? I'm agnostic on the subject.

osprey4 · November 8th, 2009, 03:49 PM

My old computer is somewhat of a fossil. If it turns into coal, I'll let everyone know.

zen · November 9th, 2009, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by osprey4

My old computer is somewhat of a fossil. If it turns into coal, I'll let everyone know.

Need my phone # or will you post from your lappy?

Epidemic · November 9th, 2009, 03:24 PM

I am just curious as to the process. If one were to assume hydrogen and carbon are combining under great pressure one would be talking about it doing so under ground. How does one keep feeding hydrogen and carbondioxide into the high pressure environment.

I am having trouble visualizing the process by which trapped gasses in the rock could create a pool of oil.

I understand how sediment can cover up tons of biomass until it is compressed into new compounds

osprey4 · November 10th, 2009, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epidemic

I am having trouble visualizing the process by which trapped gasses in the rock could create a pool of oil.

Start by visualizing SP3 hybridized orbitals...

Epidemic · November 11th, 2009, 10:45 AM

I am not sure where one would find free carbon and hydrogen environmentally for Orbital hybridisation to generate large concentrations of methane let alone the oil fields of the middle east.

**Whir** · November 11th, 2009, 10:56 AM

Keep in mind that some large percentage of the biomass on Earth is made up of insects, SJ. They have a short lifespan, reproduce quickly, and live anywhere and everywhere.

I wonder what the biomass of even a short millions years worth of dead insects would amount to?

Actually, that's kind of creepy. Maybe I don't wonder.

SiliconJon · November 11th, 2009, 11:38 AM

Here's a site that proclaims oil to be from diatoms. Where does energy from oil come from?

I probably should have quite reading it at about the point where they claim to be so sure this is how it happens, but they haven't a clue how...at least, that's what I got from it.

Anybody have a link to a good Dino/Decay theory page?