One of the delightful aspects of this blog is the fact that it gives me the chance to peel back some of the layers of amazement to be found in the unremarkable-by-reputation Midwest.  The latest example of this comes from Illinois.  Apparently, the state’s coal mines have begun to reveal gigantic fossilized rainforests that have been preserved underground.  BBC excerpts:

The ancient vegetation - now turned to rock - is visible in the ceilings of mines covering thousands of hectares.

These were among the first forests to evolve on the planet, Dr Howard Falcon-Lang told the British Association Science Festival in Liverpool.

“These are the largest fossil forests found anywhere in the world at any point in geological time,” he told reporters.

“It is quite extraordinary to find a fossil landscape preserved over such a vast area; and we are talking about an area the size of (the British city of) Bristol.”

The forests grew just a few million years apart some 300 million years ago; and are now stacked one on top of another.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7604721.stm

Note: Thanks to Greens Blog for inspiring this post:

http://statelineobserver.com/component/option,com_mojo/Itemid,90/p,3425/

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