![]() This process increases the heating value of the coal. The plant cleans and processes coal to remove rocks, dirt, ash, sulfur, and other unwanted materials. Source: Adapted from National Energy Education Development Project (public domain) Processing coalĪfter removing the coal from the ground, miners may send it to a preparation plant near the mining site. ![]() The miners use large machines to dig out coal. Miners ride elevators down deep mine shafts and travel on small trains in long tunnels to get to the coal. Some underground mines are thousands of feet deep, with tunnels that may extend out from the vertical mine shafts for miles. Underground mining, sometimes called deep mining, is used when the coal is more than 200 feet below the surface. coal production is from surface mines because surface mining is less expensive than underground mining. ![]() After the coal is removed, the disturbed area may be covered with topsoil for planting grass and trees. Mountaintop removal is a form of surface mining where the tops of mountains are removed to access coal seams. In surface mining, large machines remove the topsoil and layers of rock known as overburden to expose coal seams. Surface mining is often used when coal is less than 200 feet underground. Coal miners use two primary methods to remove coal coal miners to easily reach most of the nation's coal reserves and to produce about three times more coal in one hour than in 1978. coal deposits, called coal beds or seams, are near the earth's surface, but others are deep underground. Coal miners use large machines to remove coal from the earth.
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