Kettlebottoms in Underground Coal Mines
Many of the fossil standing trees reported in Kentucky’s coal fields are found in underground coal mines. In mines they are called bells, kettles, or kettlebottoms. The terms come from the tendency of the stumps to have rounded bases (like kettles) when they fall out. This is partly a function of compaction of surrounding rock around the base of the trunk. Fossil tree stumps in mine roofs can have a variety of appearances. To learn more about kettlebottoms in coal mines, go to the Coal Mining Geology section of the Kentucky Geological Survey website. https://www.uky.edu/KGS/coal/coal-mining-geology-Kettlebottoms.php
See Photographs of Kettlebottoms in Mines
See References for Kettlebottoms in Mines
See Photographs of Standing Fossil Tree Trunks