Is it possible for underground coal seams to burn out of control for years?

Coal-seam fire instances on Earth date back several million years. Due to thermal insulation and the avoidance of rain/snow extinguishment by the crust, underground coal-seam fires are the most persistent fires on Earth and can burn for thousands of years, like Burning Mountain in Australia.

How do you extinguish an underground coal fire?

Some commonly practiced techniques for putting out a coal fire include encasing the area in clay, injecting the area with water, or excavating the entire seam, which can become very expensive and destructive to the natural landscape.

What is underground coal fire?

An underground coal fire is defined as the combustion of coal below the Earth’s surface accompanied by heat-energy transfer and the emission of gas, but not necessarily flames and consequently, the emission of light.

How did the coal vein in Centralia catch on fire?

The leading theory today is that burning trash near an old mine entrance accidentally ignited the coal beneath. Once it ignited, the fire began to spread. Coal burns when carbon inside it combines with oxygen. The tunnels provided oxygen from the surface.

Why do coal seam fires last for so long?

“Unlike timber, coal when it gets hot has massive thermal mass which is very hard to extinguish. Coal, and particularly brown coal, is very reactive to oxygen, and will generate CO2 and that creates heat. As the coal gets hotter it will eventually get to flame temperature and that coal will burn.”

Where is the world’s oldest continuous underground fire?

Australia – A 6,000-year-old fire beneath the surface of Australia is the world’s oldest known underground fire that is still burning. Wingen Mountain, near the town of the same name in New South Wales, is now commonly known as Burning Mountain thanks to the coal-seam fire burning 70 feet underneath it.

What is coal seam?

A coal seam is a dark brown or black banded deposit of coal that is visible within layers of rock. These seams are located underground and can be mined using either deep mining or strip mining techniques depending on their proximity to the surface.

How do coal seams cause fires?

Coal fires are created by the interaction of carbon, oxygen and heat, which in turn produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and more heat to fuel the reaction. As the coal gets hotter it will eventually get to flame temperature and that coal will burn.”

How do coal seam fires work?

Coal fires are created by the interaction of carbon, oxygen and heat, which in turn produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and more heat to fuel the reaction. Meanwhile, hydrogen in the coal is converted to water vapour, nitrogen to nitrogen dioxide and sulphur to sulphur dioxide.

Is the Centralia coal fire still burning?

The fires in Centralia are still burning and now, the town exists as a tragic reminder of what happened 60 years ago. This fire burns underneath the ground, deep in the caverns that once made up this town’s booming coal mining business.

What kind of Fire is a coal seam fire?

A coal-seam fire is a burning of an outcrop or underground coal seam. Most coal-seam fires exhibit smoldering combustion, particularly underground coal-seam fires, because of limited atmospheric oxygen availability.

How tall is the Burning Mountain coal seam?

Credit: Country Fire Authority/Keith Pakenham At Burning Mountain, also known as Mount Wingen, sulfur-tinged smoke is the only hint of a massive coal seam burning 70 feet under the ground. Heat and toxic gases from the fire have left it rocky and jagged in parts, and the land has caved in.

Where is the coal seam fire in Australia?

The coal seam fire at Hazelwell Mine in Australia, which firefighters have been trying to put out for over a month. At Burning Mountain, also known as Mount Wingen, sulfur-tinged smoke is the only hint of a massive coal seam burning 70 feet under the ground.

How much mercury does a coal seam fire cause?

Global coal fire emissions are estimated to cause 40 tons of mercury to enter the atmosphere annually, and to represent three percent of the world’s annual CO 2 emissions.