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Which scientific evidence supports the biogenic origin of petroleum deposits over abiogenic theories?

Moonshot's Answer

The scientific community widely accepts the biogenic origin of petroleum deposits over abiogenic theories due to substantial evidence. This evidence includes:

  1. The presence of biomarkers in oil, which are complex organic molecules that can only originate from biological matter, as discussed in sources like Wikipedia and the article "Development of oil formation theories and their importance for peak oil" [2].
  2. The correlation of oil reserves with sedimentary basins, where organic matter accumulates and undergoes diagenesis and catagenesis, as highlighted in the "Origin and Formation of Petroleum" blog post [7].
  3. The isotopic composition of carbon in hydrocarbons, which matches that found in biological matter, as explained in the "原油:其生物起源的证据" article [6].
  4. The geological occurrence of oil and gas in specific strata associated with biological materials, as mentioned in the "Dead things transform into fossil fuels in Earth's crust over millions of years" article [4].

In contrast, abiogenic theories, which suggest petroleum originates from deep Earth and is not related to biological matter, lack direct evidence and are not supported by the geological and chemical data obtained from oil samples. The mainstream scientific consensus is that petroleum is formed from the remains of ancient organisms, providing a more plausible explanation for the origin of oil deposits.

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