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Encyclopedia of Geochemistry pp 1–4Cite as

Peat

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

Peat is an organic soil composed of partially decomposed plant and, to a lesser extent, animal remains. Precise definitions of “peat” vary but are mostly based on a combination of thickness (typically >30 cm) and organic matter content (typically >50–65%; e.g., Wüst et al. 2003; Page et al. 2011; Dargie et al. 2017). Their high organic matter content means that peats have a high carbon concentration, up to 48–60 wt% in very pure peats (Shimada et al. 2001; Loisel et al. 2014; Lawson et al. 2015). The term “histosol ,” used in the FAO and USDA soil taxonomies, includes peats.

Peat Formation, Peatlands, and Peatland Classification

Peat has a long geological history dating back to the Late Devonian (Greb et al. 2006). Burial and heating slowly transform ancient peat deposits into extensive coal and lignite deposits, which are economically important; some modern peat accumulating environments can therefore be used as analogues to understand coal formation (Phillips and Bustin 1998...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Thomas J. Kelly

  2. Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, Irvine Building, North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ, Edinburg, Scotland, UK

    Ian T. Lawson

  3. Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Institute, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, England, UK

    Lydia E. S. Cole

Authors
  1. Thomas J. Kelly
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  2. Ian T. Lawson
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  3. Lydia E. S. Cole
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas J. Kelly .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Cornell University Department of Earth, Ithaca, New York, USA

    William M. White

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Kelly, T.J., Lawson, I.T., Cole, L.E.S. (2017). Peat. In: White, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_187-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_187-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39193-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39193-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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