CBSE Class 8 Answered

Formation of Coal

Formation of Coal

Coal was formed about 200 to 300 million years ago from the remains of plants such as ferns, moss and trees which existed in swampy forests.

·As plants and trees died, their remains sank to the bottom of swampy areas.

·These dead plants and trees got covered with a layer of mud, water, rocks and soil by accumulating layer upon layer over a period of time. This eventually formed a soggy and dense material called as Peat.

·As more and more matter piled up on them, the bottom layers got compressed.

·Increasing heat and pressure from the top layers along with bacterial action gradually changed the material to coal.

·With the formation of each successive layer of coal, the amount of carbon present in the deposit increased and the level of impurities decreased.

·This gradual process of conversion of vegetable matter into coal under high temperature and pressure is called Carbonisation