The carbon that is locked up in fossil fuels primarily comes from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. During their lifetime, these organisms absorbed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis (in the case of plants) or by consuming plants (in the case of animals). Over time, when these organisms died and were buried under sediment layers, they underwent a process called fossilization. This process preserved their organic matter and transformed it into fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, through heat and pressure over millions of years. As a result, the carbon that was once present in the atmosphere got stored in these fossil fuel deposits.
The carbon that is locked up in fossil fuels came from organic matter from plants and other organisms that lived millions of years ago. When these organisms died, their remains, along with other organic materials, were buried under layers of sediment. Over time, heat and pressure transformed these organic materials into fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas.
