Where do you get coal?

Answer 1

Scientists believe that during the Carboniferous period (280 to 345 million years ago) large amounts of plant life and other organic matter grew in the swampy areas and lagoons that covered much of the earth. As the plants and other life forms died, they drifted down to the bottom of the swamps, slowly decomposed, and formed Peat - a soggy, sponge like material. The peat became buried and compressed under the earth's surfaces over a long period of time. Over millions of years and through the forces of heat and pressure, the compressed peat became coal. The greater the heat and pressure, the harder the coal was that formed.

(Source: http://www.teachcoal.org/aboutcoal/articles/faqs.html)

One of the largest coal reserves in the United States is in Northern Pennsylvania. You can also find many active coal mines is West Virginia as well.

The United States has the largest world reserve of Coal, While China is the largest extractor of Coal.

Answer 2

Coal is typically mined from underground or surface mines. Underground mining involves tunneling underground to extract the coal, while surface mining involves removing layers of soil and rock to access the coal deposits. Coal can also be produced from peat, which is harvested from bogs and moors.