a fossilized forest was found in China

In a turn of events, mining for coal actually produced some good when a fossilized forest was found in Inner Mongolia. The forest, at almost 300 million years old, was preserved from volcanic ash, similar to the old Roman city of Pompeii.

The researchers dubbed the forest the “Pompeii of the Permian period, since the manner in which it was preserved bared a striking resemblance to the famous Roman namesake event. The volcanic ash covered a large expanse of forest over the course of only a few days, ultimately sealing it away from time until present day.

http://www.zmescience.com/research/studies/300-million-year-old-fossil-forest-china-906854/