Term
| What are the 3 methods of coal mining? |
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Definition
1. Deep mining (underground)
2. Surface or strip mining
3. Auger Mining |
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Term
| What are six factors that affect the productivity of a mine or the percentage of available coal that can be recovered? |
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Definition
1. Thickness and structure of the coal bed.
2. The depth of the overburden
3. The characteristics of the strata above
4. The dip (slope) of the coal bed
5. The presence of mine gas
6. The presence of drainage water |
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Term
| When are strip and auger mining considered to be practical? |
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Definition
| Where the over burden is 100 feet thick or less |
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Term
| When is deep mining used? |
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Definition
| When the overburden is more than 100 ft thick |
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Term
| What happens to the coal face in deep mining? |
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Definition
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Term
| How is coal broken up in deep mining? |
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Definition
| Coal is broken up by explosive and machines carry it to surface by way of shafts and tunnels |
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Term
| What happens with strip mining? |
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Definition
| The thin earth and rock overburden is removed to expose the coal bed and make it directly accessible to mining machines |
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Term
| Is the average thickness of overburden removed during strip coal mining increasing or decreasing? |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| coal seams are horizontally bored into |
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Term
| What type of mining can be used on coal beds located near the surface of the side of a hill? |
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Definition
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Term
| What determine the the percentage of available coal recovered? |
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Definition
| economics, physical circumstances, and the mining methods |
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Term
| What is the percentage of available coal recovered with strip mines? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the percentage of available coal recovered in deep and auger mines? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are 3 problems associated with strip mining? |
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Definition
1. The unacceptable effects of strip mining
2. The consequences of a total ban on strip mining
3. Solutions to the remaining problems |
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Term
| What are some major environmental problems caused by strip mining? |
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Definition
1. Soil Erosion
2. Water pollution
3. Disruption of communities
4. Effects of sedimentation
5. Destruction of fish habitats
6. Clogged culverts
7. Narrowing of stream and river channels
8. Shortening of useful lives of flood-control and water-storage dams
9. Acidic water |
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Term
| What are solutions to strip mining problems? |
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Definition
1. Reclamation (return overburden to original conformation after mining)
2. Laws exist that have made reclamation compulsory
3. The final use of the land should be planned before removing any coal |
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