How do coal beds form?
1 Answer
Apr 18, 2016
Coal is formed when ancient peat forests are buried and compressed over time.
Explanation:
The way coal forms is similar to how other fossil fuels form. Coal is formed when ancient peat forests are buried and compressed over time. Over millions of years, heat and pressure cause the buried organic matter to coal. As the temperature increases, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen are released, and the proportion of carbon increases. Eventually, what remains is a layer of coal that is much thinner than the layer of peat that the foal formed from.
See this related Socratic question on how coal produces energy, how coal is processed, and why it harms the environment.
