BIOL-103 Lecture 6: Coal
3 Oct 2018
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Document Summary
Coal: the world"s most abundant fossil fuel, combustible, sedimentary, organic rock formed from vegetation under intense temperature and pressure. Composition: carbon: 55-98, water: 1-50, nitrogen 0. 2-1. 2, sulfur: 0. 6-4%. Three main grades: based on time of exposure: lignite (brown, bituminous (soft, anthracite (hard), coal takes millions of years to form, a lot of bituminous coal therefore its used. It"s close to the surface and can be dug easily with no technology: coal was the first fossil fuel we used, very easy to use and popular. Surface mining (strip and open pit): when coal seam within ~30m of surface, cheaper cost/ton, safer and less labor-intensive, most mines in bc, ab, and sk, ~60% of us coal. When coal seam is deep in ground: potentially dangerous and harmful to miner"s health, most mines in nb and ns. 1 mine in ab: ~40% of us coal, often methane and toxic gas deposits.
