fossil fuel

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References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

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bituminous coal

internal-combustion engine: four-stroke cycle

Do fossil fuels really come from fossils?

greenhouse gas emissions

global warming scenarios

For Students

Combination shot of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park, Montana in the years 1938, 1981, 1998 and 2006.

Pop Quiz: 18 Things to Know About Global Warming

fossil fuel summary

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Skeleton fossil record of ancient reptiles in stone.

Do Fossil Fuels Really Come from Fossils?

Workers pressure cleaning rocks coated in oil from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, March 1990. In the intertidal zone, Prince William Sound, Alaska. pollution disaster

9 of the Biggest Oil Spills in History

High angle view of a woman crossing a road. City streets, asphalt, bike lanes, car traffic, pedestrians

Why Are Roads Made of Asphalt?

Discover

Remarkable new details of Pluto's largest moon Charon are revealed in this image from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), taken late on July 13, 2015 from a distance of 289,000 miles

Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet?

In this aerial photo, structures are damaged and destroyed October 15, 2005 in Balakot, Pakistan. It is estimated that 90% of the city of Balakot was leveled by the earthquake. The death toll in the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Pakistan on October 8, 2005 is believed to be 38,000 with at least 1,300 more dead in Indian Kashmir. SEE CONTENT NOTES.

6 of the World’s Deadliest Natural Disasters

The Lost Colony of Roanoke, North Carolina, where 115 people mysteriously disappeared c. 1590. John White discovers the word Croatoan carved onto a tree upon his return to the deserted Roanoke Colony in 1590

The Lost Colony of Roanoke

Chapter 4 pg 42 - Chapter header of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Published in 1884 by The American Publishing Company

Periods of American Literature

Small, white rat (genus Rattus) on a glass table. (rodent, laboratory, experiment)

Cruel and Unusual Punishments: 15 Types of Torture

Young boys working in a thread spinning mill in Macon, Georgia, 1909. Boys are so small they have to climb onto the spinning frame to reach and fix broken threads and put back empty bobbins. Child labor. Industrial revolution

The Rise of the Machines: Pros and Cons of the Industrial Revolution

Orange basketball on black background and with low key lighting. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

fossil fuel: Facts & Related Content

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News •

22 States Sue to Block New York Law Targeting Fossil Fuel Companies • Feb. 6, 2025, 9:42 PM ET (New York Times)

Trump Seizes Wartime Powers in Battle for More Fossil Fuels • Jan. 26, 2025, 7:33 AM ET (Bloomberg.com)

Facts

Also Known As	mineral fuel

Did You Know?

There are approximately 1.7 trillion barrels of crude oil reserves worldwide.
In 2015, coal fueled approximately one-third of the United States's electricity.

Photos and Videos

bituminous coal

internal-combustion engine: four-stroke cycle

greenhouse gas emissions

global warming scenarios

Do fossil fuels really come from fossils?

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

petroleum natural gas coal oil shale asphalt bitumen pyrobitumen torbanite sapropel fuel biofuel diesel fuel gasoline kerosene octane number fuel oil

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Quiz

Combination shot of Grinnell Glacier taken from the summit of Mount Gould, Glacier National Park, Montana in the years 1938, 1981, 1998 and 2006.

Pop Quiz: 18 Things to Know About Global Warming

13 True-or-False Questions from Britannica’s Easiest Science Quizzes

Electric power lines against sunset (grid, power, wires, electrical, electricity)

Energy & Fossil Fuels

Demystified

Skeleton fossil record of ancient reptiles in stone.

Do Fossil Fuels Really Come from Fossils?