Peat

	What is it and where is it formed? Peat is rotted plants that have been compacted. After many years, peat will become coal. Peat is made by plants rotting in places where it is cool and there isn’t much oxygen. This is usually swampy land.
	How and where is it mined? Peat is mined using surface mining. Peat is in bogs which is another name for a swampy area. The trees are cut down and the water is drained out of the swamp. Then the topsoil is taken off of the surface. The peat is uncovered so the miners start to take off layers. Peat is found in the United Sates [Florida, Michigan, Alaska] and Canada, Finland, Germany, and Ireland.
	What is it used for? Peat is put into soil to make the dirt richer and grow things better. It is used in diapers and for oil spills because it is absorbent. Peat is used for heat just like coal is used.
	Interesting! Prehistoric people thought that spirits lived in the peat bogs. They sacrificed humans to their gods there. 2000 year old bodies have been found in the bogs. The bodies are preserved because the water has acid in it and doesn’t have much oxygen.

If underground peat catches on fire, it can burn for a very long time. As long as it has oxygen, it keeps burning until it is put out.

Links:

Bog: Weird wetland

Citations:

"Peat." Mineral Information Institute. 21 Oct. 2005 <http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photopeat.html>.

"Peat mining project approved." Minnesota Environmental Partnership. 21 Feb. 2006 <http://www.mepartnership.org/mep_whatsnew.asp?new_id=955+ >.

"Weird wetland." 17 Aug 1998. Gulf of Main Research Institute. 21 Feb. 2006. <http://octopus.gma.org/katahdin/bog.html>.