Massive Underground Coal Fire Started In 1962 Still Burns Today

www.treehugger.com...

Hopefully I've got this in the right forum. I did a search and found a few older posts referencing coal fires. This articles really hit home with some of the Global Warming topics discussed recently. I have family in Southeastern Kentucky and have witnessed an underground coal fire (well, as much as it's actually "witnessed"...mostly just smoke coming from the ground) and was amazed by one quote in this article....."it's estimated that a stunning 2-3% of the entire world's industrial carbon emissions may come from uncontained coal fires in China alone". Made me think, just how much of the current "problem" with Global Warming can be attributed to something that, as of right now, we can not impact.

Note: The site reporting this is called "Treehugger" so I'd imagine that means it should be taken with a grain of salt.

"Such unwanted coal fires rage or smolder in the United States, South Africa, Australia, China, India and beyond. They are burning in huge volumes in rural China and blazing in a district of India to such a great extent the flames from some surface coal fires are more than 20 feet high. Here in the U.S., they are burning in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Colorado and Wyoming as you read these words."

So, my question is.....with all of this going on around us, without any way to extinguish these fires, how much of a difference can we make? Or, is all of the MMGW fearmongering just a ruse? Is a site like "Treehugger" simply trying to sound the alarm trying to push MMGW down our throats?

Wow, what a coincidence I just came on to ATS to make a thread about this, I remember hearing about this in the late 90's and it poped into my head about 10-15 mins ago.. freaky.

Kinda made me think when I saw it too....never really looked at the correlation (if any) with Global Warming (Climate Change....whatever the nomenclature of the month is). I saw evidence of this (underground coal fires) years ago in Pike County Kentucky. I just thought the timing of rehashing news like this seemed almost too convenient now.

[edit on 8-12-2009 by TruthIsPower]

Where is the air coming from? Cover the hole!

I don't understand this really. How can something burn and burn underground for 47 years?

Fissures (sp?) would be one guess I'd take. Alot of ground is rocky and would be far from "air tight"....same way water seeps down into the ground. Just my uneducated guess. Just looking at one area talked about in the article....I would think sealing off 3700 acres might just be a monumental task.

"Some worst-case scenario estimates fear the fire could eventually spread to an area of 3700 acres, and burn for another 100 years"

And that is the area of Pa that they are referencing. I can't imagine how huge some of the areas in rural China may be.

reply to post by TruthIsPower


I remember hearing about this ages ago... I forgot all about it.

It’s very late for me now so I will have a look into this tomorrow.

Great post though... S+F

Thanks

Semi-off topic - but there's this hotel in Hawaii where they have a fire that's been tended for over 100 years. pretty cool if you ask me.

Originally posted by Muckster
reply to post by TruthIsPower

 

I remember hearing about this ages ago... I forgot all about it.

It’s very late for me now so I will have a look into this tomorrow.

Great post though... S+F

Thanks

Same here. Have heard about it before. Really started me thinking....how many (if any) underground coal fires are naturally occuring? Are coal seams located near volcanically (is that an actual word? If not, I apologize and will accept a correction) active areas? Could lightning strikes spark immense underground coal fires? If the fires in China may account for 2-3% of the carbon emissions that are blamed for Global Warming....how much of it may be simply a natural occurence....simply a natural part of our planet's life cycle?

Originally posted by Donnie Darko
Semi-off topic - but there's this hotel in Hawaii where they have a fire that's been tended for over 100 years. pretty cool if you ask me.

I wouldn't say it's off-topic. I would hazard a guess that it's magma-related....just leads to another question, what percentage of carbon emissions can be attributed to volcanic activity? Are naturally occuring carbon emissions simply kicking our butt (part of a naturally occuring cycle) while people point the finger at everything else?

Have a look at www.coalfire.org... for the closest burning coal seam to where you live!

Originally posted by dereks
Have a look at www.coalfire.org... for the closest burning coal seam to where you live!

VERY cool!!!! Thanks for that link (def deserving of a star)

Originally posted by TruthIsPower
I have family in Southeastern Kentucky and have witnessed an underground coal fire (well, as much as it's actually "witnessed"...mostly just smoke coming from the ground) and was amazed by one quote in this article....."it's estimated that a stunning 2-3% of the entire world's industrial carbon emissions may come from uncontained coal fires in China alone".

Google "Centralia, Pennsylvania"...it's post-apocalyptic! They had to empty the town, and re-route the highway. Here's the warning sign:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c53322889f4d.jpg[/atsimg]

The moral of the story is that if you're going to dump your garbage in a played-out coal pit...don't burn it!

The only one that I've been around was under what was called a "slate dump".....huge flat area of fill (slate mostly) left over after the mining operation. Not any type of garbage dump or burning going on (literally up a one lane dirt road on which the slate dump was located at the "head of the holler" lol). If there's no big burns to ignite it, what else might have contributed? What's weird is that there can be years go by with no evidence of anything happening underground, then it will smolder again.

Originally posted by Cabaret Voltaire
Where is the air coming from? Cover the hole!

I don't understand this really. How can something burn and burn underground for 47 years?

Lots of oxygen underground...not to mention natural vents....you could hardly 'just cover the hole'. Not exactly a kitchen pan fire.

The Centralia mine fire is just a stones throw from Girardville PA

where my step-dads mother refused to leave the comminity she lived in for so many years.

Years ago, from your car you would see patches of baked ground, & thin whiffs of smoke, looking like a war-zone i imagine.

it seemed no-big-deal to anyone...i'm talking in the 1963-65 era

Originally posted by St Udio


The Centralia mine fire is just a stones throw from Girardville PA

where my step-dads mother refused to leave the comminity she lived in for so many years.

Years ago, from your car you would see patches of baked ground, & thin whiffs of smoke, looking like a war-zone i imagine.

it seemed no-big-deal to anyone...i'm talking in the 1963-65 era

I recommend a visit...the road has heaved and split, and fissures emit smoke. Apparently the cemetary smokes as well, but we didn't make it there. Strange place.