Which two factors make coal nonrenewable?

It is only found underground

It produces harmful air pollution

It takes hundreds of millions of years to form

It is constantly washed away by rivers and oceans

It only forms under specific environmental conditions

1 answer

The two factors that make coal nonrenewable are:

  1. It takes hundreds of millions of years to form - Coal is formed from ancient plant material that has been subjected to heat and pressure over geological time scales, making its formation a very slow process.

  2. It only forms under specific environmental conditions - Coal formation requires specific conditions such as the presence of plant material, suitable burial, and the right temperature and pressure, which are not commonly found in the modern environment.

These factors contribute to the limited supply of coal, as it cannot be replenished on human timescales.