Earth Science 12, 2nd Quarter PDF

# EARTH SCIENCE 12, 2ND QUARTER ## CLASSIFICATIONS - Renewable Resources - Nonrenewable Resources ## ENERGY RESOURCES Energy is defined as the capacity to do work, while a resource refers to any item used for a specific purpose. Energy is derived from nuclear, fossil fuels, geothermal, hydro, wind...

# EARTH SCIENCE 12, 2ND QUARTER ## CLASSIFICATIONS - Renewable Resources - Nonrenewable Resources ## ENERGY RESOURCES Energy is defined as the capacity to do work, while a resource refers to any item used for a specific purpose. Energy is derived from nuclear, fossil fuels, geothermal, hydro, wind, solar, and biomass. ## RENEWABLE RESOURCES A renewable resource can be replenished or regenerated on a human time scale. Examples include: - Geothermal - Hydro - Wind - Solar - Biomass ## NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES A nonrenewable resource cannot be replenished or regenerated on a human timescale. Examples include: - Nuclear Energy - Fossil Fuels ## FOSSIL FUELS Fossil fuels are the remains of plants and animals that died millions of years ago. These natural and finite resources are the world's primary energy source, supporting transportation, electricity, and industries. Fossil fuels are abundant and have a lower cost of production compared to other energy resources, but they are considered nonrenewable due to the millions of years required for their formation. ### Types of Fossil Fuels: - Coal - Oil (Petroleum) - Natural Gas ## COAL Coal is a black, combustible rock made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and varying amounts of sulfur. ### Coal Formation: 1. Starts in a swamp near a sedimentary basin (e.g., lagoon or lake). 2. Natural phenomena (e.g., tectonic activity) raise water levels, covering and killing vegetation. 3. Plant debris accumulates and is buried under mud and sand through sedimentation. 4. Over time, sedimentation layers slow decomposition, building pressure and heat. 5. This pressure and heat gradually convert plant debris into coal. ### How Coal Was Formed: Millions of years ago, dead plant matter decayed in swampy waters, forming a thick layer of peat. Over time, more layers of water and dirt compressed the peat under immense pressure and heat. This process expelled oxygen and left rich hydrocarbon deposits, turning the plant matter into coal. ### Where Coal Is Found: Deep underground or near the surface. ## PETROLEUM (OIL) The term "petroleum" comes from Latin: _petra_ (rock) and _oleum_ (oil). It is a naturally occurring liquid of complex hydrocarbons found in geological formations beneath Earth's surface. Derived from large quantities of algae and plankton. ## NATURAL GAS Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture, primarily composed of methane. It is considered Earth's cleanest fossil fuel, odorless and colorless in its natural state. Produced from sedimentary rock formations through a process that forces chemicals, water, and sand into a well under high pressure. ## OIL AND NATURAL GAS ### Recycling Dead Organisms. When living organisms die, they are recycled in two primary ways: 1. Eaten by predators, scavengers, or bacteria. 2. Oxidized. ### Oil and Gas Formation: 1. Dead plants and animals accumulate on land and at sea., 2. These organisms sink to sea or lake floors, mixing with dirt and microorganisms. 3. Over tens of millions of years, the accumulated organic material undergoes decomposition by microorganisms into organic compounds called kerogen. Rocks rich in kerogen are known as source rocks. 4. Heat and pressure transform kerogen into oil and natural gas. 5. Oil and natural gas migrate and accumulate under specific conditions: - **Condition 1:** Beneath a dome-shaped, dense cap rock layer. - **Condition 2:** In a porous reservoir rock, where they are trapped. How Petroleum and Natural Gas Were Formed: Tiny sea plants and animals were buried on the ocean floor. Over time, sediment and rock layers covered the remains. Enormous heat and pressure converted the remains into oil and gas over millions of years. ## HYDROPOWER ### HISTORY By the 1700s, water mills were widely used for pumping irrigation water and milling lumber and grain. The Industrial Revolution and its demand for energy drove the development of hydroelectric energy production methods. In 1878, William George Armstrong developed the first hydroelectric power scheme, used to power a single lamp. This development could not have been possible without the invention of electrical generators and hydraulics. ### WHAT IS HYDROPOWER? Hydroelectric energy is created by harnessing the power of moving water, usually by restricting water flow to specific areas. ### HOW CAN WE TURN THE MOVEMENT OF WATER INTO ENERGY? ### How Does Hydroelectric Power (HEP) Work? Most of the world's hydropower is captured by building large dams. Dams capture the kinetic energy of a flowing river and store it as gravitational potential energy as water builds up behind them in a reservoir. When we want to use this energy, we open a small gate in the dam to let water pass through. The water falls through a channel, spins a turbine, and powers a generator to create electricity (similar to wind turbines). ### PARTS OF A HYDROPOWER SYSTEM - **Dam:** Creates a large waterfall and stores enough water to supply the plant at all times. - **Penstock:** Channels water from the reservoir to the turbines. - **Powerhouse:** Houses the turbines driven by the waterfall and the generator powered by the turbines. ### TYPES OF HYDROPOWER PLANTS 1. **Impoundment Facility:** Uses a dam to store water, then releases it to generate electricity. 2. **Diversion/Run-of-River Facility:** Works by redirecting river water through a small dam into pipes toward a penstock and feeding it downhill to the power station. 3. **Pumped Storage:** Combines a small storage reservoir with a system for cycling water back into the reservoir after it has been released through the turbine ### BENEFITS OF HYDROPOWER - **Low Operating Costs:** Although it has relatively high initial costs, it is cheap to operate because it doesn't require raw materials. - **Less Greenhouse Gas:** It almost always emits less greenhouse gas than burning fossil fuels. - **Renewable:** It is a renewable resource, meaning we'll never run out of it as long as rivers keep flowing. - **Other Uses:** Reservoirs created by dams have countless other uses beyond electricity generation. ### DRAWBACKS OF HYDROPOWER - **Flooding Land for Reservoirs:** Flooding land for reservoirs is bad for many reasons: - Local wildlife can be destroyed. - Villages are often flooded. - People have to move homes. ### WHAT CAN WE DO TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM HEP? Build dams on river systems with fewer nutrients to discourage microbes from decomposing trees. Build smaller dams in steeper valleys so that less land is flooded. ## WILDLIFE ### How Do Dams Impact Wildlife? Many species of fish move upstream to lay their eggs. Dams often make this journey either extremely dangerous or impossible. ### Fish Ladder Fish ladders allow fish to "jump" up a dam, but these are only partially effective (particularly on steeper dams). In some places, the situation is so bad that local environmental agencies transport fish up and down the river in trucks. ## HYDROPOWER IN THE PHILIPPINES ### Binga Hydropower Plant: Owned and operated by SN Aboitiz (SNAP) since 2008. Located in the upper reaches of the Agno River, on the island of Luzon in the northern Philippines. Commissioned in 1960 to generate electricity and provide flood control services. ### IS THE FLOW OF RIVERS ENOUGH TO POWER THE WORLD? No, the flow of rivers alone can't power the world. Rivers have great potential for generating hydroelectric energy, but there are challenges. ### The Most Significant Benefit of Hydropower: It allows us to store the energy it produces. ## THE PRICE OF WATER The current problem of water pollution has led to the emergence of commercial bottled drinking water. Demand for bottled water is increasing due to the ongoing issues with tap water availability and cleanliness. Today, water is considered one of the world's most expensive commodities, comparable to gasoline. Even in countries like the Philippines, where rainfall and flooding are common, water has become expensive. ## WATER RESOURCES ### Physical Attributes - Solid - Liquid - Gas ### Sources of Water 1. **Groundwater:** Found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock. Stored in aquifers, which are geologic formations made of permeable material. - **Key Information:** - **Aquifer:** A body of rock and sediment saturated with water, allowing water movement. - **Artesian Well:** A free-flowing water well where pressure in the aquifer forces water to the surface without a pump. - **Saturated Zone:** The zone where all pores and rock fractures are filled with water, located below the unsaturated zone. - **Unsaturated Zone:** The zone not fully filled with water, lying above the saturated zone. 2. **Surface Water:** Found on the Earth's surface in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. More likely to contain contaminants due to exposure. ### Three Types of Surface Water: - **Perennial:** Always present, year-round water sources. - **Ephemeral:** Temporary water sources, only present during specific conditions like rain. - **Man-Made:** Artificially created water bodies like reservoirs and canals. ### IMPORTANT PRODUCTS FROM WATER RESOURCES: 1. **Domestic Water:** Water for household use such as drinking, cooking, and cleaning. 2. **Industrial Water:** Water used in manufacturing and production processes. 3. **Agricultural Water:** Water for irrigation and farming. 4. **Medical Water:** Purified water for medical procedures and pharmaceutical use. ## HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND THE WATER CYCLE Human activities (settlements, industry, and agricultural development) can disturb the natural water cycle by: - Diverting land use. - Modifying water use/reuse. - Discharging wastes into natural groundwater and surface water pathways.