coal deposits
Underground fuel reserves
Coal deposits are accumulations of coal formed over millions of years from compressed plant matter, found in seams or beds within the earth.
Geologists and mining companies survey regions for coal deposits to assess extraction potential: The Appalachian coal deposits fueled American industrialization.
A region's coal deposits represent both an energy resource and an environmental consideration.
- anthraciteHighest-grade coal variety
- fossil fuelsCombustible prehistoric organic deposits
- carbon emissionsReleased greenhouse gases
- ligniteLow-rank sedimentary fuel
- peatWaterlogged decomposed vegetation
fossil fuel industry · black gold · coalfields · sedimentary rock · underground mining · reclamation · strip mining · carbonization · stratigraphy · carbon content · geochemistry · paleobotany · Carboniferous · overburden · bituminous · steel manufacturing · steam engine · gasification
- Paleozoic eraCambrian period, Carboniferous period, trilobites, brachiopods, Burgess Shale
- Polish GeologyCarpathian Mountains, Carpathians, Wieliczka, salt mines, copper deposits
- Sakhalinoil fields, gas fields, fishing industry, salmon fishing, crab fishing
- Highveldveld, grassland, Free State, Johannesburg, Pretoria
- mineralsquartz, marble, granite, limestone, sandstone
- natural resourcescrude oil, lumber, water, gas, air
coal depositspetroleum reserves
Untapped underground crude supplies
oil fields · tar sands · natural gas reserves · oil reserves · oil sands
coal depositsrenewable energy sources
Power from inexhaustible natural processes
solar farms · wind farms · tidal energy · biomass · solar energy