HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 1 month agoThe circle of lifelemmy.worldimagemessage-square56fedilinkarrow-up1827arrow-down131
arrow-up1796arrow-down1imageThe circle of lifelemmy.worldHootinNHollerin@lemmy.world to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 1 month agomessage-square56fedilink
minus-squareMentalEdgelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up17·1 month agoYes and no. They’re both hydrocarbons. Coal is organic matter from dry land, so typically plants. Oil is from organic matter that fell to the ocean floor, so microbial life, algae and the like. But both are from and end up as the same types of organic molecules. Carbon and hydrogen.
minus-squarethe post of tom joad@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up6·1 month agoWow ok that’s cool… so then every* oil well is in a place that historically was underwater?
minus-squareCornelius_Wangenheim@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up9·1 month agoYes, specifically shallow seas that are so rich that they go anoxic. Without oxygen, the organisms don’t break down and just accumulate.
minus-squareJasonDJ@lemmy.ziplinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up7·edit-21 month agoCan Texas just go back to being a shallow anoxic sea? Please?
minus-squareMentalEdgelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up8·edit-21 month agoYes. A lot of such places are still below the seabed, hence off-shore oil-rigs.
minus-squareJothiratnam@mastodon.sociallinkfedilinkarrow-up1·1 month ago@the_post_of_tom_joad @MentalEdge This map from the Cretaceous might help: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Cretaceous_seaway.png
Yes and no. They’re both hydrocarbons.
Coal is organic matter from dry land, so typically plants.
Oil is from organic matter that fell to the ocean floor, so microbial life, algae and the like.
But both are from and end up as the same types of organic molecules. Carbon and hydrogen.
Wow ok that’s cool… so then every* oil well is in a place that historically was underwater?
Yes, specifically shallow seas that are so rich that they go anoxic. Without oxygen, the organisms don’t break down and just accumulate.
Can Texas just go back to being a shallow anoxic sea?
Please?
Yes. A lot of such places are still below the seabed, hence off-shore oil-rigs.
@the_post_of_tom_joad @MentalEdge This map from the Cretaceous might help: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Cretaceous_seaway.png