Encyclopedia of Earth: Ocean Oil: Offshore Petroleum

Junior geologists work through three mini-lessons that familiarize them with the formation and location of fossil fuels. Part one involves reading about petroleum and where it comes from via a thorough set of handouts. A lab activity...

More of a mini-unit than a lesson, these activities lead inquisitors through a survey of oil deposits. In the first part, they read about and view diagrams of sedimentary rock layers that trap oil. Next, they test porosity and...

A collection of articles, video, and some teaching guides on issues related to coastal ecosystems. Includes environmental issues, e.g., oil spills, and different types of ecosystems, e.g., mangroves and coastal grasslands.

A collection of articles on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that happened on April 20, 2010. It was caused by an offshore explosion on an oil platform fifty miles southeast of the Mississippi River delta.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Describes how oil spills occur and how they can be cleaned up.

Lengthy illustrated article about the Arctic Ocean discusses all the many features and characteristics of this vast northern ocean--sea ice, icebergs, ice shelves, ice islands, the Arctic Ocean floor, continental shelf--as well as the...

Article describing the scope of the problem of overfishing in the ocean and in fresh water bodies around the world. Adverse effects of this practice on both natural and human systems, and efforts to contain it are detailed. (Published:...

Article explaining the importance of carbon as the basis for life, carbon dioxide's role in photosynthesis and respiration, carbon in the ocean and lithosphere, the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle, carbon that seems to be...

Explains what gasoline is and the different terms used for it, describes how it is produced, and what effects different properties of a gasoline can have on its performance. Also discusses how the composition of gasoline varies depending...

Explains what petrochemicals are, the main hydrocarbon feedstocks that form the basis of petrochemical industries, sources, uses, and products made from petrochemicals. (Published: September 25, 2011)