ABSTRACT
Peat deposits provide records of past vegetation and climates especially as they are the first step in the geological formation of other fossil fuels such as coal which is a non-renewable source of energy. Wetland conditions where flooding obstructs flows of oxygen from the atmosphere, slowing down the rates of decomposition, are very conducive to the formation of peat whose most important source are peatlands. The harvested peat is emptied into large piles from where large truck-drawn hoppers carry the vacuum harvested peat to the processing facilities. The site for new peat bog must contain horticulture grade sphagnum with a depth of at least 2 metres. Geologically, lignite begins as an accumulation of partially decayed plant material, or peat, whose temperature and pressure increases with local geothermal gradient and tectonic setting. The result is compaction of the material and loss of the water and volatile matter, principally methane and carbon dioxide.
