A Carboniferous coal seam!

This sea-side cliff shows a now-dipping cross-section of an approx 312 million year-old fossil landscape.

From the top of a sandbar, the soil, then the once lush vegetation, this all then flooded, the river and/or sea then depositing sub-rounded pebbles atop the eroded vegetated surface, this fining upward to a muddy sandstone, upon which a soil formed, then the cycle starting again.

As the sediments turned to stone, the vegetation was compacted, here changing to high-grade anthracite.

Amazing!

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