Coal 101Many of you are having a problem uderstanding the basin concept. Most of you have driven along and seen large ares of muskeg surounded by low hills. The muskeg is the future coal deposit. Imagine a time of hot humid climate with vigourous plan growth. Compaction of 10 to 20 times is required for the vegetable matter to be compacted to coal. Periodsof higher water will cause a slowing in growh with sedment bing deposited (silt, sand) on top of the vegetation, these are the partings. The undulating topography will determing vegetation thickness. The low ground (muskeg) will have vigorous growth. Low hills(trees) will have much less, much of which may have been destroyed by fire and no accumulation.. The coal will configuer to theunderlyng topo and the overall topo will flatten
Simiiar toa lake with islands. The lake is the basin with a undlulatng bottom, the shoreline is the margin of the basin.
Coal quality will be determine by, partings (sedimentation), depth of burial (compaction) ad hopefully acap of clay silt (shale) which will trap the volitiles (gas from rotting) . The more gas the higher the BTU value.
Hopefully ths will help.
GLTA