Environmental Science, 10th Edition (Cunningham)

Chapter 14: Geology and Earth Resources

GE Exercise: Mountaintop Removal

<a onClick="window.open('/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=jpg::::/sites/dl/free/8888888555/484165/google.jpg','popWin', 'width=210,height=178,resizable,scrollbars');" href="#"><img valign="absmiddle" height="16" width="16" border="0" src="/olcweb/styles/shared/linkicons/image.gif"> (34.0K)</a>

Take a virtual field trip with Google Earth!
Google Earth is a free, online application that uses satellite imagery to allow the user to zoom across the globe in a realistic, virtual environment. Downloading Google Earth is free at http://www.earth.google.com.

An overview manual is available by clicking here... Google Earth Overview (342.0K)

To continue:
- Make sure you have the Google Earth software installed and running.
- Copy the following latitude and longitude and paste into the "Fly to" field under the Search tab.
- Hit "Enter" for Google Earth to take you to the specified coordinates, then come back here and read the following overview.

Latitude/Longitude: 39.0664, -78.6609

Overview: Mountaintop Removal, p. 312

This is a type of surface (or strip) mining in which the top of a mountain or ridge is scraped off by large earth moving equipment to expose horizontal coal seams that can be beneath as much as 100 m of "overburden." Often that unwanted rock and soil is simply pushed down slope into adjacent valleys, burying streams, farms, forests, cemeteries, and other important sites.

If you zoom in on this site, you can see the heavy earth moving equipment as well as the headwall where rock is being cut away to expose the coal. If you zoom out, you can follow the scar made by mining for many kilometers.

There are many larger mines elsewhere in West Virginia and nearby states, but most are too low-resolution in Google Earth (at the time of this writing) to be very visible.

1
Why is the scar so irregular in shape?
A)As miners search for the coal seam, they carve an irregular pattern.
B)Sloppy mining accounts for the irregular pattern.
C)The scar is irregular in shape depending on the topography of the mountain and the shape of the coal seam.
D)The scar simply follows the imprint of old forest clear-cuts, which were irregular in shape due to faulty equipment.
E)The scar is irregular because the coal kept moving due to plate tectonics.
2
Roughly, how long is the scar left by the mining?
A)At least 5 km
B)At least 10 km
C)At least 15 km
D)Between 15 and 20 km
E)Between 20 and 30 km
3
Where is this mine located?
A)Southwestern West Virginia
B)Southeastern West Virginia
C)Northwestern West Virginia
D)Northeastern West Virginia
E)Northwestern East Virginia
4
What mountain range is this part of?
A)The Smoky Mountains
B)The Ozarks
C)The Missing Mountains
D)The Appalachian Mountains
E)The Blue Mountains
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