Unit 4 Activity

Earth Systems
Yazmin Angulo
Ms. Gardner
What is Natural Gas?
Natural gas is gas that is a fossil fuel energy source. It is very commonly used
and it is composed by methane, hydrogen, and carbon. It is formed by the remains
of animals and plants of hundreds of years ago, changed by heat and pressure,
they form natural gas, petroleum, and oil.

example:
What geological processes form natural gas?
Natural gas is formed by pressure and heat on the ocean floor and
underneath earth’s surface. It is formed from fossils from hundreds of years ago. It
is often mixed with sand, calcium carbonate, and silt.
Is natural gas found in equal amounts around the
globe? Why or why not?

Natural gas is not found in equal amounts around the globe. Natural gas
requires specific materials, climate, and fossil deposits. The amount of fossils
found in an area depend on climate and organisms, which are not evenly
distributed around the globe.
How much natural gas is used in the United States
each year? How does this compare with oil and coal
use?
Around 30.28 trillion cubic feet of natural gas is used in the United States
each year. 7.6 billion barrels of petroleum are used each year, and 546 million tons
of coal per year. A lot more natural gas is used per year than that of coal and oil
combined.
How does burning natural gas influence the carbon
cycle?
Burning natural gas produces less carbon dioxide than oil and coal, and
although it releases methane, the greenhouse gases emitted by it have a lower life
cycle. While it is bad for the environment, it is the least harmful of the other two.
How much carbon dioxide (CO2) does natural gas
emit compared with other fossil fuels?

Natural gas emits 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide han oil and coal.
Based on your findings, would you consider natural
gas a clean source of energy?
I don’t think I would consider natural gas a clean source of energy, because at
the end of the day it still leaves a big carbon footprint on the planet because of
how much is being used. I do, however, think that it is better than using oil and
coal, but would not say it is “clean”.
WORKS CITED
“Natural Gas Explained”, EIA. 27 December, 2022.
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/

“Overview of Greenhouse Gases”, EPA. May 16, 2022.

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#:~:text=Methane
%20is%20the%20primary%20component,source%20of%20CH4%20emissions
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