What is OIL?

I should know this, but I don't. I heard it's from Dinasor bones

en.wikipedia.org...

This will answer all your questions and more. Enjoy.

Here's a simple explanation:

Petroleum is formed under Earth’s surface by the decomposition of marine organisms. The remains of tiny organisms that live in the sea—and, to a lesser extent, those of land organisms that are carried down to the sea in rivers and of plants that grow on the ocean bottoms—are enmeshed with the fine sands and silts that settle to the bottom in quiet sea basins. Such deposits, which are rich in organic materials, become the source rocks for the generation of crude oil. The process began many millions of years ago with the development of abundant life, and it continues to this day. The sediments grow thicker and sink into the seafloor under their own weight. As additional deposits pile up, the pressure on the ones below increases several thousand times, and the temperature rises by several hundred degrees. The mud and sand harden into shale and sandstone; carbonate precipitates and skeletal shells harden into limestone; and the remains of the dead organisms are transformed into crude oil and natural gas.

encarta

The oil we use today started to form when the dinosaurs were around.

Most fossil fuels are plant based, from my understanding.

Thanks for the info guys

Forams

plankton

and all sorts of micro-animals and micro-plants
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even Diatoms
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They live, they die, they sink, they accumulate, they get buried, they rot, they become oil, a tarry mass of organic chemicals.

THey are other, less widely accepted, theories
From meteorites
Abiotic Oil

As far as dinosaur bones, Sinclair oil is in part responsible for this perception.


[edit on 25-8-2005 by Nygdan]

Oil could also be, in part, formed by the remains of the organic soup that was formed around the time life supposedly evolved...therefore that's another abiotic theory.

Originally posted by Nygdan
even Diatoms
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I never knew they had spirographs millions of years ago! Actually, it makes me quite mad that all through school they told us oil came from dinosaurs.




[edit on 25-8-2005 by ben91069]