fossil fuel

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fossil fuel

Also known as: mineral fuel

Written by Otto C. Kopp

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 9, 2024 • Article History

bituminous coal

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Category: Science & Tech

Related Topics:: petroleum; natural gas; coal; oil shale; asphalt

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fossil fuel, any of a class of hydrocarbon-containing materials of biological origin occurring within Earth’s crust that can be used as a source of energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil shales, bitumens, tar sands, and heavy oils. All contain carbon and were formed as a result of geologic processes acting on the remains of organic matter produced by photosynthesis, a process that began in the Archean Eon (4.0 billion to 2.5 billion years ago). Most carbonaceous material occurring before the Devonian Period (419.2 million to 358.9 million years ago) was derived from algae and bacteria, whereas most ...(100 of 700 words)

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