2006-08-04 06:07:45 · 4 answers · asked by AK 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
When the dead plants and animal matter is buried under the Earth, there is a lot of preesure on it and it is also heated a lot. As a result it metamorphosises into fossil fuel such as coal and petroleum.
2006-08-04 06:18:43 · answer #1 · answered by theallknowingvyas 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most fossil fuels (petroleum) were created by microplanktons that invested a substantial part of their collected sunlight energy into the creation of "vegetable oil" to maintain their place in the water column. Buried plants mostly create methane gas. The proper amount of heat and pressure creates petroleum. If the material is subjected to "metamorphosis", which I assume you mean metamorphic processes the result is exigenite, which is an inert form of hydrocarbons and cannot be burned.
2006-08-04 06:43:15 · answer #2 · answered by Amphibolite 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
two main sourses are
1) massive death of animals and plants catastrophically buried during the flood of noah
and
2) some things like methanes might be the product of natural geological prossesses in the earth
2006-08-04 07:02:16 · answer #3 · answered by whirlingmerc 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Organic matter needs a RESERVOIR (a place to be stored), PRESSURE (lots of sediment on top of it), and HEAT (geothermal heat) to turn into oil. These processes also take a lot of TIME.
2006-08-04 06:39:28 · answer #4 · answered by SM 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋