Coal mining

People get coal from the ground.

We use this coal to make power. This power turns on our lights.

Some coal is near the top of the earth.

Workers use big trucks to move it. They also use large shovels.

Other coal is very deep down.

People must dig tunnels to reach it. They leave tall walls of rock to hold up the roof.

Mining can change the land. It can also make the air dirty. This is why some places use less coal now.

Many people work in these mines. It is a very big job for the world.

Coal is a fuel used to make electricity.

People get coal from deep inside the Earth. There are two main ways to do this.

One way is called surface mining. This happens when coal is near the top of the ground. Workers must first remove the overburden. Overburden is the layer of soil and rock above the coal.

They use big tools like draglines or shovels. They might also use explosives to break the rock. In some places, they even remove the tops of mountains. This is called mountaintop removal. It can change how the land looks.

The other way is underground mining. This is used when coal is very deep.

Miners dig tunnels to reach the coal. They often leave tall pillars of coal to hold up the roof. This keeps the mine from falling in.

Coal mining can hurt the Earth. It can make water dirty or change the air. Because of this, many places are using less coal now. Still, over 2.7 million people work in this job.

Coal mining is the way people get coal from the ground.

This coal is very useful for making electricity. People have used it for power since the 1880s. In some places, people use special names for mines. In the United Kingdom, a mine is called a colliery. In South Africa, people often call a mine a "pit."

Mining has changed a lot over a long time. It started with simple digging and small carts. Now, we use huge machines to move the earth.

There are two main ways to mine coal. The first way is called surface mining.

This works best when coal is close to the surface. Workers must first remove the overburden. Overburden is the layer of dirt and rock on top. They use explosives to break the surface. Then, large tools like draglines or shovels move the dirt.

Once the coal is visible, trucks carry it away. In some areas, miners even remove the tops of mountains. This is called mountaintop removal mining.

The second way is underground mining.

This is used when coal is very deep. It accounts for about 60 percent of world production. One way to do this is the room and pillar method. Miners dig out paths through the coal. They leave tall pillars of coal standing. These pillars act like strong columns. They hold up the roof so it does not fall.

Some miners even use remote-controlled machines to stay safe.

Coal mining has a very long history.

Ships have been used to carry coal since the Roman Empire. Today, the industry is very large. It employs over 2.7 million workers around the world. Most of these workers, about 2.2 million, live in Asia.

Major coal producers include China, Indonesia, India, and Australia. These countries are still increasing how much coal they make. This is happening even as other places stop using it.

We must also think about how mining affects our world. Mining can cause land degradation, which means the land is damaged. It can also make waterways polluted. This can happen through something called acid mine drainage. Mining can also lead to poor air quality. Because of these problems, many countries are phasing out coal. They are moving toward different kinds of energy. We are learning how to protect our ecosystems while we use energy.

Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the Earth. Coal is a valuable resource because of its high energy content. Since the 1880s, it has been used widely to generate electricity.

Different regions use different names for these operations. In the United Kingdom and South Africa, a mine is often called a colliery. In some places, a mine is simply called a "pit."

Over time, mining has evolved from manual digging to massive industrial operations. Today, we use advanced technology like draglines and hydraulic jacks to move earth and coal.

Before mining begins, experts must evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of a site. They look at regional geological conditions and the thickness of the coal seam. They also study the overburden, which is the material sitting above the coal.

Other factors include the topography, such as the slope of the land. They must also consider groundwater conditions and the availability of labor. These details determine whether a mine will be a surface mine or an underground mine.

Surface mining is used when coal seams are relatively close to the surface. This method includes techniques like open-cut, strip mining, and mountaintop removal.

In strip mining, workers remove the overburden in long strips. They often use explosives to fragment the earth first. The overburden from the first strip is placed in an area called out-of-pit dumping. For later strips, the waste is placed in the empty void, known as in-pit dumping. This process is most suitable for areas with flat terrain.

In steeper areas, miners use contour mining or mountaintop removal. Contour mining follows the shape of a ridge or hillside.

This can cause erosion or landslides if the waste is not managed correctly. Mountaintop removal involves removing the entire top of a mountain to reach coal. The leftover rock is often placed in nearby valleys, creating "valley fills." This practice is controversial because it changes the landscape and can cover streams.

These methods can leave the ridge tops as flattened plateaus.

Underground mining is used for coal located at much greater depths. This method accounts for about 60 percent of the world's coal production.

One common technique is the room and pillar method. In this process, miners create paths through the coal seam. They leave large pillars of coal standing to support the mine roof. This prevents the ceiling from collapsing onto the workers.

Some mines also use retreat mining, where miners eventually remove the pillars to recover more coal.

Coal mining has a long history of moving resources across the globe. Ships have been used to haul coal since the era of the Roman Empire.

The modern industry is massive, employing over 2.7 million people worldwide. About 2.2 million of these workers are located in Asia.

While production is falling in Europe and the United States, other nations are still growing. Major producers like China, Indonesia, India, and Australia have not yet reached peak production.

However, the industry faces significant environmental and health challenges. Mining can cause land degradation and polluted waterways through acid mine drainage.

It also contributes to global issues like poor air quality and climate change. Because of these impacts, many parts of the global energy economy are phasing out coal. This shift is expected to decrease the number of coal jobs in the coming decades.

The world is currently navigating a transition toward different energy sources.