It is quite shocking to know that some people think coal comes from the fossils of dinosaurs, who walked the earth just shy of 65 million years ago. In fact, coal is formed during a process known as coalification, which began millions of years before dinosaurs stepped foot on the planet’s surface. Here is the  lowdown on coalification…

Millions of years ago, a staggering amount of the earth was covered with swamp land. When vegetation such as trees, plants and flowers came to the end of their life, they would fall into the water of the  swamps. Many years passed, and this continuous falling of vegetation formed layers of material that were several meters in thickness. Deep below the swamps, the oxygen supply became scarce and since decay requires oxygen, the vegetation eventually stopped decaying.

Due to the pressure from the continuing build-up of vegetation matter, a chemical and physical change took place and the swamps became buried and turned into a material known as peat. Due to the addition of more pressure and heat, this peat would eventually become lignite, a softer composite coal that is brown in colour. Over many more continuous years, lignite eventually emerges as the black coal we use and recognise today. It’s creation stems from millions of years’ worth of pressure and heat upon vegetation and eventually, this coal makes it way to your doorstep… it only took a few million years!

The team here at Pearson Fuels finds it interesting that the coal we deliver to you was created such a long time ago, which is why we dedicated a blog to the process of coalification! Now you’re up to date on how coal is made, its times to get your hands on some! Get in contact with the best coal merchants around today!