Why is peat classified as a fossil fuel?

misgfool · Apr 17, 2009

Why is it classified as a fossil fuel?

Xnn · Apr 17, 2009

Re: Peat

Because it is dug up from the ground.

Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally "having been dug up")

misgfool · Apr 17, 2009

Re: Peat

Xnn said: ↑

Because it is dug up from the ground.

Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally "having been dug up")

So uranium is a fossil fuel?

mgb_phys · Apr 17, 2009

Re: Peat

Fossil fuel usually means the buried remains of living stuff - peat is 10,000 old trees.

misgfool · Apr 17, 2009

Re: Peat

mgb_phys said: ↑

Fossil fuel usually means the buried remains of living stuff - peat is 10,000 old trees.

So how old does ex-living stuff have to be to become a fossil?

Evo · Apr 18, 2009

Re: Peat

Peat is not a fossil fuel, not by definition, although some people are now trying to call it an "un-renewable" fuel source, although it does renew. Political agencies are now classifying peat as a fossil fuel because in some areas it is possible to use up a local supply faster than it can renew. It is a classification for economic purpopses. That doesn't change the fact that it is not the same.

Fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are found within the rocks of the Earth's surface. They are called fossil fuels because they are thought to have been formed many millions of years ago by geological processes acting on dead animals and plants, just like fossils.

Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. Because they took millions of years to form, once they are used up they cannot be replaced.

Peat is what you had millions of years *before* it became a fossil fuel, such as coal.

As time passed, layer upon layer of peat built up. The pressure from these layers and heat from below the Earth's crust gradually changed the material into coal.

http://www.scienceonline.co.uk/energy/nonrenewable.html

What is peat?

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache...f+fossil+fuels+peat&cd=14&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

misgfool · Apr 18, 2009

Re: Peat

Evo said: ↑

Peat is not a fossil fuel, not by definition, although some people are now trying to call it an "un-renewable" fuel source, although it does renew. Political agencies are now classifying peat as a fossil fuel because in some areas it it possible to use up a local supply faster than it can renew. It is a classification for economic purpopses. That doesn't change the fact that it is not the same.

That's actually a good answer.

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Why is peat classified as a fossil fuel?

misgfool

Xnn

misgfool

mgb_phys

misgfool

Evo

Staff: Mentor

misgfool