How does natural gas form from marine microorganisms?

Natural gas is a fossil fuel created when layers of organic matter, primarily marine microorganisms, accumulate in underground geological formations. Over millions of years, these buried layers undergo thermal decomposition driven by intense heat and pressure in oxygen-free conditions. The resulting gas consists mainly of methane, storing chemical energy originally derived from the sun through photosynthesis.

What we know

• Natural gas is formed when layers of organic matter, primarily marine microorganisms, are thermally decomposed underground. [4]
• The thermal decomposition of organic matter occurs under oxygen-free conditions, subjected to intense heat and pressure over millions of years. [4]
• Marine microorganisms, including marine prokaryotes, are responsible for significant levels of photosynthesis and carbon cycling in the ocean. [2, 3]
• The energy stored in natural gas molecules was originally obtained from the sun by organisms via photosynthesis. [4]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat role do marine prokaryotes play in ocean ecosystems?
• how it workedHow do marine microorganisms cycle carbon and other nutrients?
• a case in pointHow does the Niobrara Formation preserve ancient marine life?
• what followedWhat are the greenhouse gas impacts of natural gas extraction?
• how we knowHow does liquefied natural gas enable long-term storage?
• an unexpected connectionHow are ancient marine microorganisms linked to modern global energy markets?The energy powering today's global electricity and heating through natural gas originates directly from photosynthetic marine microorganisms that lived millions of years ago.

Sources

• [1]Marine prokaryotes (Wikidata Q96418887) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Marine prokaryotes · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Marine microorganisms · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Natural gas · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Niobrara Formation · CC BY-SA 4.0