Peat accumulation and soil mechanical support for plant proliferation

Through an analysis of soil structure and soil mechanics characteristics, combined with the principle of the past informed by modern analogues, the properties of peat and soil are examined. The structure and physical conditions of soil can provide strong mechanical support for plant growth, whereas the loose accumulation layer of peat lacks the soil properties necessary to sustain the long-term prosperity of large plants. Moreover, considering the anchoring effect of plant roots, such fixation was relatively weak during geological history. Comprehensive analysis suggests that the peat layers in peat mires can hardly support the continuous growth of tall plants. Moreover, thick to ultra-thick coal seams exhibit complex internal structures, in which partings are typically continuous and stratiform in distribution. The contacts between partings and adjacent coal beds are sharp and well defined, and the partings lack plant root fossils or root imprints. The formation of thick coal seams requires sustained peat accumulation. Drawing on the conceptual model of allochthonous peat mires and evidence from the modern transport of plant debris, this study effectively resolves the fundamental issues of long-term peat accumulation and the mechanical support required for sustained plant proliferation. It further demonstrates that the characteristics of partings within thick coal beds can be reasonably explained by the allochthonous peat mire model.