How was coal formed? and before you answer read my thesis?

Question

Go to this web site www.blackcountrysociety.co.uk scroll down till you find "When is fossil fuel not Fossil fuel"

It most certainly is on the stated web site and has been for two years

Perhaps no. 4 answerer, can explain with the same science how one of the moons of Saturn is covered with soot

Answer 1

I do find the way you put this question a bit strange. It's as though you have already decided on the answer and just want to prove you are cleverer than everyone else. I'm not too keen on this attitude. firstly before you have a go at someone about not finding your article it is NOT on that web page. It is actually on this web page: http://blackcountrysociety.co.uk/articles/coal.htm and in order to find it you have to search the site.

The asphalt volcanoes were discovered in 2003 and the prefered theory is that these are caused by supercritical water (i.e. water which is capable of disolving hydrocarbons). My knowledge of the formation of coal is somewhat limited however i do know that both plant and animal fossils have been found within coal seams in the UK and I presume elsewhere. It is an interesting theory and perhaps with a bit more research a comprimise between reality and fantasy may be reached.

Answer 2

Coal is a black or brownish black combustible mineral formed about 300 million years ago when the earth was covered by swampy forests of scale tress (lycopods) giant ferns, horsetails, and club mosses. Layer upon layer of these plants died and were compressed and then covered with soil. As the layers were successively covered their access to the air was limited and this stopped the full decomposition process creating peat.
Over the years heat and pressure worked to force out oxygen and hydrogen, leaving carbon-rich deposits, called coal, in layers known as seams. (I dont mean to sound patronising its simply the way I am lining it up in my own head )

The carbon content of the coal rises as it is compressed further and the moisture content falls. The first type of coal to form is lignite, followed by subbituminous coal, bituminous coal and lastly anthracite. These grades of coal are known as ranks.

As even the Dinosaurs (that ruled the Earth! :~} ) died out around 65 million years ago, there would have been no Human, Semi-Human or even Proto-Humans to have become fossils.

Concerning the peat that is to be found under forests? This is the 'beginning of coal rather than the end product.
As an example, if you subjected an average coal lump to immense pressure and heat, you would form a diamond (albeit a small one).
In this way we can say that in the first instance there are trees and ferns - in the second there is dead vegetable matter slowly rotting - in the third (after great pressure and some heat have been applied) we have coal and lastly, we have diamonds.
We use peat and coal and diamonds and they are basically the same thing but at different points.
All coal forms the same way and whilst the mineral or 'genetic' content may differ, the end result will be the same. The coal goes through different stages as it develops.
Come back in a few million years and the bituminous coal will have metamorphosed into anthracite!

A little deep perhaps but carbon-dating has proved that the coal types are actually different ages and at different stages.

Answer 3

difficult to answer seeing as your thesis isnt on the specified site as at 13:41 on the 16th of January 2007

Answer 4

I'm sure it's plausible, but not being a geologist or chemist it's a tricky one.
I'm more concerned that your article states "Mt Vesuvius buried Pompey" - I always thought he was assassinated in Egypt and his head presented to Caesar?

Answer 5

You're link is NOT on that page.
I had to do a site search to bring it up.

http://blackcountrysociety.co.uk/articles/coal.htm

This seems to be nothing but an introduction, do you have a fully arguable thesis?

.

Answer 6

Here is the explanation the scientific community has for the formation -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal

Answer 7

The "blackcountry" website (I'm really sorry if I appear rude) was written by someone who has little or no geological (or grammatical!) knowledge.

Coal is highly variable stuff and forms from a variety of materials, including plant remains, peat, and algal remains. The types most typically thought of as coal are the lignites (earthy friable coals), bituminous coals (shiny black brittle coals) and anthracites (hard shiny coals. The gradation from one type of coal to the next one depends on depth of burial by overlying sediments and the geothermal heat flow. Note: Bituminous coals are NOT the same as bitumen (which is really biodegraded oil or tar)!!!.

Bituminous coals are so known because when heated in an oxygen-starved environment, the coal gives off gas, with a by product of sticky phenolic tar. This was the basis of gas manufacture before the discovery of natural gas. The tar, which is horribly toxic, is comprised of a large number of organic compounds loosely described as "bituminous",but it certainly isn't the same stuff as natural bitumen, which derives from natural oil seeps.

Reasons why we know most coals are made from plants (i) they have plant / woody material preserved in them when viewed under the microscope, (ii) they commonly have plant or tree fossils, leaves,etc. in them, visible to the naked eye, and (iii) you can often see the rootlet beds directly under the coal seams. I have seen many coal seams in mines and quarries and have witnessed all of this for myself.

The shaly partings in coal seams are due to periodic flooding. Imagine a large, slowly-subsiding sedimentary basin containing delta-top swamps that become choked with vegetation, leading to the build-up of peat (that will eventually become coal). Such a sedimentary basin existed during the Carboniferous era (300 million years ago) and stretched from the Appalachian mountains, through Great Britain, and beyond into at least as far as Eastern Europe. Ever so often, a large river (or rivers) might have burst their banks, or perhaps the sea flooded. A layer of mud then settled out (you may find shell fossils in here) before the swamp is re-established atop the next series of deltas building out into the basin. Imagine this happening again and again,over a wide geographic area. The formation of coal seams interbedded with shale! Simple!

The volcanic theory... Unfortunately, it's wrong! Soot (partially-combusted carbonaceous dust), which derives from burning of carbonaceous material under conditions where oxygen supply becomes limited, is NOT even remotely the same as volcanic ash and dust, which is formed of terrestially-derived silicate minerals (basically, pulverized lava) and to my knowledge is hardly ever carbonaceous. Anything carbonaceous is burnt to CO2 because of the high temperature. Therefore coals cannot form from volcanigenic soot, as soot does not derive from volcanoes. I guess a volcanic eruption could combust a nearby forest, leading to some atmospheric soot, but that's about it.

Asphalt "volcanoes" are known in many areas, although they are more typically "eruptions" of unconsolidated mud that emanate from highly overpressured geological formations. If these formations have oil bearing strata within, they could be described as such. A recent example occured in Indonsesia and was triggered by drilling activity. They are common in some areas, with spectacular examples in Azerbaijan, for example, that have even been known to ignite when the erupting mud is cut with natural gas. Please note: these are NOT volcanoes in the sense of igneous activity. They are wholly natural eruptions of unconsolidated sedimentary material resulting from the release of overpressure.

As for the Saturn moon (Iapetus) that supposedly is half-covered in "soot". Well it is half covered in a black material that looks like soot. That is not saying it IS soot! It is as yet unknown black material, possibly some sort of oxide mineral. If there are any astronomers out there who can tell me that a spectral analysis has proven that it really is partially-combusted carbonaceous material i.e.genuine soot, then I stand corrected.

I'll happily elaborate further on this by email if you wish.

Update: For God's sake, why do Young Earth Creationists have to add their nonsense to every single question like this??? (see the answer below mine). Coal is highly microporous material. When you expose it to the air (by erosion, or by mining) it can give off large quantities of weakly adsorbed gas (methane) and it can also absorb gas (including atmospheric CO2). Same as for charcoal, which is known for it's adsorbant qualities. The creationist C14 isotope argument really is beyond the pale.

Answer 8

Don't know but it killed a lot of people digging it out.