What are the different types of coal? American Geosciences Institute
The coal formation process involves the burial of peat, which is made of partly decayed plant materials, deep underground. The heat and pressure of burial alters the texture and increases the carbon content of the peat, which transforms it into coal, a type of sedimentary rock. This process takes millions of years. Types, or "ranks," of coal are determined by carbon content. There are four ...
