| Abstract | There are 111 328 x 10³ ha of peatlands in Canada, representing 12% of the total land area. Because of the great variation in climate and physiographic situations, a wide range of peatland types occur on these peatlands. Peat materials associated with these peatlands are identified according to their botanical composition. Their physical and chemical characteristics depend on their botanical composition and the region in which they were deposited. There are approximately 3 004 996 x 10⁶ m³ or 335 x 10⁹ tonnes of dry peat or 507 x 10⁹ tonnes with 50% water content in Canada. The energy value of this peat resource is approximately 6. 7 x 10²¹ J. The existing mining techniques are able to handle only the unfrozen, southern peatlands, whose energy equivalent is approximately 2. 7 x 10²¹ J, similar to that of the coal resources of Canada. |
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