Do you know how was Coal Formed?

     Coal is a fuel which is found in layers under the Ground. These layers are called Coal Mine’s from where coal is obtained. Coal is known as Fossil Fuel because it was made million years ago from dead plants. Coal is used for heating and is making Electricity, Gas and Chemicals. It is also made into another fuel called Coke. It is the most abundant fossil fuel in the world and it meets 30% of the world’s energy demands.

    Formation of Coal began 250 million years ago in an age called Carboniferous Period. During that period our earth had many swamp like seas. Because of Hot, moist climate gigantic plants were not able to grow. When the plants died, they sank into the swamp and new plants replaced them. As the newer plants died, layers of dead materials began to form. Mud and sand settled on top of this layer and pressed some of the water out. Eventually the land rose and more plants grow on the surface. These new plants died, decayed and were covered by the sediments again. This cycle continued for millions of years. Many layers of Stratified matter formed as decaying material were forced further beneath the surface. Great pressure was produced by these many layers. The pressure together with the chemical reactions gradually transformed the decayed material into coal. In this way coal was formed in many layers inside the earth. Today we have to dig to great depth to obtain it.

    Coal consists mainly of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. There are four types of coal: Peat, Lignite, Bituminous and Anthracite. Peat is a material in the first stage of coal formation. It contains 90% of water. Dry Peat contains 60% Carbon. Lignite contains 60-75% carbon. Bituminous contains up to 80% Carbon. Anthracite is the final product of the coal formation, which contains 95% carbon.

    The leading coal producing countries are the USA, Soviet Union, China, Germany, Poland and Great Britain. In India Coal mines exists in Andra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Orissa, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. About three billion tonnes of coal is mined every year in the whole world. India accounts for about 100 million tonnes.