Chapter 19. Chapter 19: Coal

What methods are used to mine coal...?

Interactive Study Guide
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Guiding Question 19.3

What methods are used to mine coal, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Why You Should Care

When new resources are discovered, humans follow a typical pattern and start by harvesting the resource where it is easiest to get to—closest to the surface is the rule of thumb for any resources belowground. With coal, this meant we mined the deposits that were closest to the surface and followed the thickest layers into the mountains.

Today, we are left with the deeper and thinner layers of coal, and techniques to mine it have delved deeper and farther into mountains. These techniques will yield coal but at higher costs, as tunnels grow longer and more dangerous for the miners.

A new technique involves removing the rock layers directly and mining the coal from above. This is called mountaintop removal and is comparatively safer for the miners and cheaper for the company. However, it carries a great cost for the surrounding forested ecosystems and private lands and, consequently, is very controversial.

Question Test Your Vocabulary

Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:

Term Definition
1Cr4H9lG4446qiEfFe8kORDdOFKWPF66PXRX3DB3RVwNvqeTzCpvh4Wd6ISxWYK3ez1QRL4I8gqV5vjBp0P4Bk+KKSi9X4XlAqsPWW0T3yE6S5+XBFHWFY/Sudc= The rock and dirt removed to uncover a mineral deposit during surface mining.
RthjqVZz2DuO2Bcb1RV3TOcEn6TtQPjmEGs/LXl2ON3EY/X6+OZ6QPhYgI2mS1JW1LyPd/3loUVOGMjtToscPblUCMy0ijsXWs5F/9ZafXqhMrp9sLyBhjR1QNE= Water flowing past exposed rock in mines that leaches out sulfates. These sulfates react with the water and oxygen to form acids (low-pH solutions).
SaK3aHujh8nwpFxo8jYh+VVLXO5Xlu0Hiyf7eIqO8fqHRq/KNhz5sA19eHuvKUe0KpMBqSWZjviAxWE8vulOqpcFjBv97xFR5jFUerG9PSJyLsyRl6NGOPlbYxQ= Sites where tunnels are dug underground to access mineral resources.
CnBfnSq0PvYNfPw/tyATu7HeRdLLD3/Fd1lxh7DkQIWJ7XM0hoskpweW4cRe8R3sHeQyZfGlij9nfnLMnqrqoPm9d5B69PewYkXQPqaflxJ9u4LFsbsCjanTsaI= Removing dirt and rock that overlays a mineral deposit close to the surface in order to access that deposit.
iIrz/f2A/xNsv9HwtUWJYh/VzIfFINg+VqICfhHVbIP/wq80nIHOLvd0pVxWw0LiT+bZlAreV3pRR23YD1zAXpsF+XwFoddhmaDZS+9tiD25ng8F/Y7SWpuYP1U= Surface-mining technique that uses explosives to blast away the top of a mountain to expose the coal seam underneath; the waste rock and rubble is deposited in a nearby valley.
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Infographic 19.4

Question 19.1

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Question 19.2

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Question 19.3

3/1j4D0sy7RNOukmRMiKBH5FUizZ/Ry3SMaJEb+SMUChNt5LteX0eElnPyOrPkeXtKQLLadMYxE=
By digging away the rock layers, mountaintop removal exposes the underlying coal seams.
Infographic 19.5

Question 19.4

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Acid mine drainage occurs when sulfur from mining waste leaches into the surrounding waters.

Question 19.5

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Question 19.6

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Question 19.7

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From the point of view of your own health, you would probably be excited since many of the health concerns would be gone. From the point of view of jobs, there might be fewer mining jobs since mountaintop removal employs more machines than subsurface mining does. From the point of view of a resident, I would probably be opposed since the landscape of the mountains and streams would be endangered.