When were coal deposits formed?

When were coal deposits formed? Reservoir geology is developing very dynamically and this applies to the whole world. This is not surprising, as geological exploration of deposits in Wielkopolska allows for the discovery and extraction of many important raw materials. One of the most strategic raw materials is undoubtedly hard coal.

It is worth knowing what it is used for and what are its most important features. It would also be good to know where the richest deposits of this unique raw material are located. Mine geology also gave us an answer to the question of how hard coal deposits came to be.

How exactly did hard coal come into being?

Mineral geologyallowed us to answer the question of how hard coal deposits were formed. Generally speaking, this raw material was made of lignite, which in turn was made of peat. It is worth noting that peat was formed in wetlands and swamps. The transformation of peat into lignite and then into hard coal took millions of years. It is estimated that this took place in the Cenozoic era during the so-called Quaternary period. One should be aware that peat resources, and thus lignite and hard coal, will sooner or later be exhausted. When this happens, coal mining on a massive scale will end. Fortunately, people are already finding solutions to replace hard coal. The ecological awareness of individual societies is also growing, which already translates into less use of coal. So it’s possible that it will last us longer than you might think.

What should you know about hard coal?

As mentioned above, hard coal deposits have been formed for many millions of years. What is worth knowing about this important raw material? First of all, you should be aware of what coal actually is and what are its characteristics. Well, coal is nothing more than a sedimentary rock of natural origin, which has been characterized above. It is worth noting that about 80% of the composition of this rock is the carbon element. Its black color is characteristic of coal. In addition, this sedimentary rock has a specific, matt luster. Due to its wide application, the exploration of deposits, including coal, is a continuous process. Coal is primarily used as fuel. It is used both in private flats and houses as well as in enterprises. However, coal is slowly being abandoned as a fuel. This is influenced by the already mentioned growing ecological awareness of the society. More and more people are trying to use less environmentally destructive methods for heating. It should be noted that when coal is burned, many harmful substances are released into the atmosphere. What substances are we talking about? First of all, about sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and also about carbon monoxide. All these substances have an extremely negative impact on our health, causing various types of allergies or breathing difficulties. In addition, these substances contribute to the degradation of our natural environment. As it is well known, environmental degradation is not good for people, plants or animals. So it is in the interest of all of us to fight it.

Hard coal deposits – where are the largest ones?

The search for deposits of mineral resources has led to the fact that today hard coal is mined in many places around the world. Commonly conducted deposit research also takes place in Poland. However, one should be aware that not every country has large hard coal deposits. In some countries, new coal deposits may be discovered through prospecting . This valuable raw material can be found mainly in south-eastern China. But this is not the end. Hard coal is also mined in the United States and India. Large amounts of this raw material are also found in Canada and Australia. As far as Europe is concerned, Ukraine and, of course, Poland stand out. Studies of Silesian depositsproved that this is where the largest amounts of hard coal in Poland are located. We are talking here primarily about Upper Silesia. The Upper Silesian Industrial District is located there.

Deposit documentationallows to conclude that in Poland, hard coal is also mined in the Małopolskie and Lubelskie voivodships. However, these are not as large amounts as in Silesia. It should be noted, however, that many mines are closing down in Poland. The reasons for this state of affairs are really diverse. Certainly, the reason is the unprofitability of some mines, which are closed for this very reason. It can also be mentioned that in some places the coal is too deep and its extraction would simply be unprofitable and risky. How is this precious resource extracted? Two methods of hard coal mining are widespread in the world. We are talking here primarily about the open-cast method and the deep-sea method. Each of these methods has its strengths and weaknesses.