Comments on: Somewhere over Utah http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/ life, life in science, miscellaneous thoughts Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:22:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: drshellie http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-91 Sat, 29 Jul 2006 14:39:51 +0100 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-91 Lab Lemming: fixed-- thanks! Lab Lemming: fixed– thanks!

]]> by: Lab Lemming http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-90 Sat, 29 Jul 2006 09:33:59 +0100 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-90 Minor quibble, but most oil is actually dead marine algae, and not plant or animal matter. Coal is mostly plant matter, and the way scientists tell the difference is to separate all the molecules found in oil, and identify those which are unique to certain types of organisms. Biogeochemistry and molecular fossils are a relatively new, exciting (for people who like looking at rocks all day) field of geological research. Minor quibble, but most oil is actually dead marine algae, and not plant or animal matter. Coal is mostly plant matter, and the way scientists tell the difference is to separate all the molecules found in oil, and identify those which are unique to certain types of organisms. Biogeochemistry and molecular fossils are a relatively new, exciting (for people who like looking at rocks all day) field of geological research.

]]> by: skookumchick http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-88 Sat, 29 Jul 2006 03:24:19 +0100 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-88 To #2: "Is this how you always start conversations with strangers you meet on the plane?" Not very clever, but what can I say, it's been a long day. Hope the rest of the ride was better. To #2: “Is this how you always start conversations with strangers you meet on the plane?”

Not very clever, but what can I say, it’s been a long day. Hope the rest of the ride was better.

]]> by: drshellie http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-87 Sat, 29 Jul 2006 03:21:01 +0100 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-87 OK, so about the oil: for the record: oil forms the following way. <strike>Plants and animals</strike> algae die and sink to the bottom of the sea. They are covered by dirt. Bacteria begin to break them down. Under increased temperature and pressure conditions, the organic material turns into oil, which is mixed into silt and sand. This migrates into porous rocks. Here's a <a href="http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/chemistry/fossils/p3.html">link.</a> Oh, and Utah actually accounts for about 1% of US oil production. Who knew? So in the end I learned quite a bit as a result of this exchange (not from the guy on the airplane; I looked it up on the web afterward). I'm still working on this Africa question. Where to start...? OK, so about the oil: for the record: oil forms the following way. Plants and animals algae die and sink to the bottom of the sea. They are covered by dirt. Bacteria begin to break them down. Under increased temperature and pressure conditions, the organic material turns into oil, which is mixed into silt and sand. This migrates into porous rocks. Here’s a link.

Oh, and Utah actually accounts for about 1% of US oil production. Who knew? So in the end I learned quite a bit as a result of this exchange (not from the guy on the airplane; I looked it up on the web afterward).

I’m still working on this Africa question. Where to start…?

]]> by: Pinko Punko http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-86 Sat, 29 Jul 2006 01:09:16 +0100 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-86 After the first comment I would have been reaching for the headphones. Yikes. After the first comment I would have been reaching for the headphones. Yikes.

]]> by: sciencewoman http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-85 Fri, 28 Jul 2006 22:48:02 +0100 http://drshellie.blogsome.com/2006/07/28/somewhere-over-utah/#comment-85 Of course, oil only comes from land where crops can't be grown and it comes from all land where crops can't be grown. Can't you see the logic? Obviously the subsurface architecture and geologic history are the ONLY controls on biological productivity :) Of course, oil only comes from land where crops can’t be grown and it comes from all land where crops can’t be grown. Can’t you see the logic? Obviously the subsurface architecture and geologic history are the ONLY controls on biological productivity :)

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