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2-17-11 EARTH SCIENCE. Fossil Fuels include not only coal, natural gas, & petroleum but also oil shale, peat, & bitumens . Oil shale is a sedimentary rock that releases hydrocarbons when heated above 500⁰C. Bitumens are dense, very viscous hydrocarbons similar to asphalt.
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2-17-11 EARTH SCIENCE • Fossil Fuels include not only coal, natural gas, & petroleum but also oil shale, peat, & bitumens. • Oil shale is a sedimentary rock that releases hydrocarbons when heated above 500⁰C. • Bitumens are dense, very viscous hydrocarbons similar to asphalt. • Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. It is composed primarily of methane. • Other fossil fuels do not burn as cleanly as natural gas. Oil & coal compounds pollute by releasing sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, & carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.