To convert organic material like plant matter into coal through geological processes of heat and pressure over millions of years.
From coal + -ify (Latin facere 'to make'). The suffix -ify means 'to make or become,' so coalify literally means 'to make into coal.' This term emerged in geology during the 19th century as scientists studied fossil fuel formation.
This word captures one of Earth's most dramatic transformations—ancient forests from 300 million years ago became the coal we burn today! The process takes so long that no human has ever witnessed coalification actually happening.
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