Talk:Cannel coal

Use of Cannel in craft work
I have added a note to the effect that carving cannel coast was a popular pastime amongst miners in the Northumberland/Durham coal-field. Unfortunately I have to reference for this; it is word of mouth from my late grandfather, who was a miner in that coal-field, and who showed me objects carved from cannel coal by miners. --APRCooper (talk) 13:45, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

Cannel from Lycopsid spores
I'll add a note that cannel coal comes from Lycopsid (scale tree) spores, accumulating in coal swamp pond bottoms. Thus cannel coal seams are shallow and often found above other deposits, while the coal itself, being rich in oils, burns long, with a bright yellow flame and little ash.

Don't ask me how to cite it, but the source of this information is the National Museum of Natural History, where one reads: "LCYOPSIDS -- SCALE TREES. One of the major plants of the coal swamps, lycopsids sometimes reached heights of 125 feet... Lycopsids are known as scale trees because their bark is marked by scars (where leaves were attached) that reminded coal miners of fish or reptile scales." And: "SCALE-TREE SPORES. Scale trees produced spores in such vast quantities that the spores often filled small ponds in the coal swamp.  The remains of these lycopsid spores were transformed into a special type of coal, cannel coal, highly prized for use in fireplaces." And another sign mentions the high oil content in spore-based cannel coal (don't have quote). I'm sure there's more complexity to the story that others may want to add, but, however simplified, this is a reliable source! Jerry-VA (talk) 23:17, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

Oil shale?? Plus another descrip.: not just one type of spore
I don't think so. Coal is by definition fossil terrestrial plants, and spores count. Tagged as uncited and dubious.

Here's a descrip of Cannel coal from an Ohio State geologist:
 * Cannel coals are odd varieties of coal. They don’t have the look & feel of ordinary coals such as lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite. Cannel coals are lightweight, as all coals are, but are surprisingly tight and solid - they hold up to natural weathering pretty well, considering they’re coals. They are not sooty to the touch, and have conchoidal fracture (smooth & curved fracture surfaces). Cannel coals lack the well-developed horizontal bedding & laminations seen in lignites and bituminous coals, as is seen in this cross section view.


 * Not surprisingly, the differences in physical characterstics between cannel coal and other ranks of coal are due to the organic matter content. Cannel coals are composed principally of fossil spores (sporinite phytoclasts). Garden-variety coals are composed principally of a mix of altered fragmented plant debris that was originally woody tissue, leaves, bark, fungi, and spores. Cannel coals are generally interpreted to have formed in pond, lagoon, or channel facies within a larger coal swamp setting. Source: Cannel coal

So it appears cannel coal can be fossil spores of any plant, which makes more sense. --Pete Tillman (talk) 22:01, 22 August 2014 (UTC)


 * I added references. Cannel coal is on the border line between coal and oil shale and as there is no definite geological definition nor a specific chemical formula of oil shale, it is also classified as oil shale, according to the classification system introduced by Hutton. Beagel (talk) 15:13, 23 August 2014 (UTC)