Fossil fuel
Also called: Mineral fuels · Topic: Energy Resources of India: Conventional and Non-conventional · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 1 "Geographical Diversity of India"; Class 7, Ch 3 "Climates of India"; Class 8, Ch 1 "Natural Resources and Their Use"; Class 12, Ch 5 "Mineral and Energy Resources"
Meaning
Fossil fuels are coal, petroleum and natural gas. They formed from the remains of plants and animals that were buried and pressed under rock over millions of years. They are exhaustible, which means they cannot be replaced once used up. Geographers class them as organic, non-metallic minerals. Burning them is the main source of carbon dioxide, the gas that drives climate change. India imports most of its crude oil and much of its gas and coking coal, so fossil fuels are central to its energy security.
Example
Coal mined at Jharia (Jharkhand), crude oil from Mumbai High in the Arabian Sea and natural gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin are all fossil fuels.
Don't confuse with
- Biofuels: Fuels such as ethanol and biogas also come from plants and animal waste. However, they are made from fresh material in a short time, so they are renewable. Fossil fuels took millions of years to form.
Related concepts
- Classification of energy resources
- Conventional energy sources
- Non-conventional energy sources
- Firewood and dung cake