How Much Fossil Fuel Is in the Earth?

摘要

In this work, by using an indirect method based on the correspondence between the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere and the quantity of fossil fuel in the Earth, the resources of fossil fuels were evaluated to be about 1.9 × 1016 ton. Unluckily, only a small part of these fuels is easily accessible. Nevertheless, their quantity is so high that it is reasonable to assume that fossil fuels will continue to dominate the global energy scene for several years. The extensive use of fossil fuels alters the ratio between oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The effects of this change are however so slow that they become important only on the geological time scale.