Anthracite Coal-Mine Fires of Northeastern Pennsylvania

Melissa A. Nolter, Harold W. Aurand, Daniel H. Vice

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

This chapter presents a description of some coal fires in northeastern (NE) Pennsylvania (Figure 25.1.1) that encompass the anthracite region in the Valley and Ridge province of the Appalachian Mountains; Figures 25.1.2-25.1.9 illustrate these fires. This area is different from the bituminous coal fields of Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia both in geology and in the character of the coal. The anthracite coal beds are found in four main fields, the Southern, Eastern Middle, Western Middle, and Northern, with several smaller pockets of anthracite to semianthracite coal in outlying areas. The general trend of the fields is northeast to southwest (Eggleston et al., 1999). They are complex synclinoria (Eggleston et al., 1999), i.e. each field is one large syncline or basin but each contains numerous secondary synclines or basins separated by anticlines and/or faults. This is illustrated by the fact that the anthracite region covers 1400 square miles (2253.08 km2), but only 439 square miles (706.50 km2) contain coal. A total of 33 minable coal beds occur in the Southern Field with fewer in the Northern Field because the higher beds have been removed by erosion.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationCase Studies - Coal Fires
PublisherElsevier Inc.
Pages652-665
Number of pages14
Volume3
ISBN (Electronic)9780444595119
ISBN (Print)9780444595096
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 20 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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