EARTHSC 1G03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 33: Surface Mining, Anthracite, Paleozoic
19 Apr 2017
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Why don"t we have coal from the early paleozoic or the precambrian? to. Dead and decaying plant matter is buried, compressed form peat. Peat is buried, compressed, and heated to form coal. Coal has different ranks based on its formation. Hard coals (anthracite), which have been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures, burn more cleanly than soft coals (lignite). Coal is mined underground in tunnels following the sedimentary bedding or is strip mined: each sedimentary layer is removed, the coal is separated, and the waste fills in the previous hole. Nuclear energy: issues, radioactive waste disposal, geologic testing, rock cores taken of proposed layer as well as overlying and underlying layers, permeability tested in labs, accidents. Geothermal energy: most efficient place to use geothermal energy is where magma body is present, also used with geothermal gradient in the absence of magma. Hydroelectricity: streams dammed to allow water to flow through generators to produce electricity.
