COAL AND

PETROLEUM
UNIT 1
MODERN ORGANIC
PROCESSES ON THE
EARTH'S SURFACE
 CLASS
OBJECTIVES

UNDERSTANDING THE BIOGENIC

ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM AND THE
PROCESSES THAT GOVERN IT
 PHOTOSYNTHESIS
INORGANIC TO ORGANIC CARBON CONVERSION
6 CO2 + 12 H2O C6H12O6 + 6 H2O+ 6 O2
 ON THE DEATH OF THE PLANT OR ANIMAL, CO2 + H2O IS GIVEN
OUT
PETROLEUM FORMATION IS AN EXCEPTIONAL CASE
CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC
MATTER
4 MAJOR GROUPS:
1. PROTEINS
2. CARBOHYDRATES
3. LIPIDS
4. LIGNIN
PROTEINS
DOMINANT IN
ANIMALS, LESS IN
PLANTS
H,C,O,N,S AND P AS
AMINO ACIDS
CARBOHYDRATES
PRESENT IN
PLANTS AND
ANIMALS
INCLUDES SUGAR,
STARCH AND
CHITIN
LIPIDS
PRESENT IN
PLANTS AND
ANIMALS
C, H, O PRESENT
AS FATS, OILS,
WAXES
LIGNIN
ONLY HIGHER
PLANTS
HIGH MOLECULAR
WEIGHT,
AROMATIC
CARBON RINGS
PRODUCTIVITY AND PRESERVATION OF
ORGANIC MATTER

AMOUNT OF ORGANIC ORGANIC PRODUCTIVITY

MATTER BURIED IN = _______________________________________
SEDIMENTS ORGANIC DESTRUCTION

NORMALLY HIGHER AT EARTH'S

SURFACE
ORGANIC PRODUCTIVITY (PHYSICAL
AND PROCESSES IN SEAS CHARACTERISTICS)
AND OCEANS

THEY DEPEND
BIOLOGICAL TEMPERATURE ON DEPTH,
PRODUCTIVITY LATITUDE AND
DEPENDS ON TURBIDITY OF
WATER

SUNLIGHT
ORGANIC PRODUCTIVITY (CHEMICAL
AND PROCESSES IN SEAS CHARACTERISTICS)
AND OCEANS

BIOLOGICAL PHOSPHATE
PRODUCTIVITY
DEPENDS ON
OXYGEN

NITRATE
4 MAJOR SETTINGS FOR FORMATION OF
ORGANIC RICH SEDIMENTS IN ANOXIC
ENVIRONMENTS
THERMALLY INDUCED STRATIFICATION IN
FRESHWATER LAKES
PRESERVATION IN A BARRED BASIN
WESTERN SIDE OF CONTINENTS
ANOXIC OCEAN BASIN DEPOSITION
1)THERMALLY
INDUCED
STRATIFICATION
IN FRESHWATER
LAKES
2) PRESERVATION IN A BARRED BASIN
 3) WESTERN SIDE OF
CONTINENTS

200-1500
METRES
4) ANOXIC OCEAN BASIN DEPOSITION
 ORGANIC PRODUCTIVITY AND
PRESERVATION IN CONTINENTAL
ENVIROMENTS

OXYGEN IS CONSTANT
# OF GROWING DAYS IS AN
IMPORTANT VARIABLE
TEMPERATURE
DAYLIGHT HOURS
 ORGANIC PRODUCTIVITY AND
PRESERVATION IN CONTINENTAL
ENVIROMENTS

PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY
DECREASING DECREASING
RATE OF PRODUCTIVITY: INCREASES UP TO
25°c THEN DECLINES

RATE OF DECAY: CONTINUES TO INCREASE

BEYOND 25°c

THEREFORE, PRESERVATION POTENTIAL

DECLINES ABOVE 25°c
RATE OF DECAY >>> RATE OF FORMATION
 PRESERVATION OF ORGANIC MATTER IN
ANCIENT SEDIMENTS

PLANTS COLONIZED LAND AT THE END

≈
OF THE SILURIAN ( 433 MA)

Cooksonia
 PRESERVATION OF ORGANIC MATTER IN
ANCIENT SEDIMENTS

EXTENSIVE COAL
FORMATION OCCURRED
IN THE CARBONIFEROUS
PERIOD

Lepidodendron Sigillaria
 PRESERVATION OF ORGANIC MATTER IN
ANCIENT SEDIMENTS

THUS, COMPOSITION OF
PLANTS CHANGED
AMOUNT OF LIGNIN
INCREASED

SILURIAN CARBONIFEROUS
 PRESERVATION IS
FAVOURED BY
HIGH ORGANIC PRODUCTIVITY
OPTIMUM SEDIMENTATION
RATE
ANOXIC CONDITIONS
 Summary
Photosynthesis -> Death of plant (wrt Carbon)
Chemistry of living organic matter
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Lignin
Productivity and preservation of organic matter - ratio
Organic productivity in the oceans
4 major settings
Organic productivity in continental environments
Preservation of organic matter in ancient sediments