anthracite

Type of coal with highest carbon content (86% to 98%) and thus highest heat value (nearly 15,000 BTUs-per-pound)

barge

A long and large, usually flat-bottomed boat that is unpowered and towed by other boats or ships, used for transporting goods

bituminous

Type of coal with carbon content from 45% to 86% and heat value of 10,500 to 15,500 BTUs-per-pound; most plentiful form of coal in U.S.; used primarily to generate electricity and make coke for steel

bitumen

A mixture containing hydrocarbons -- often produced by the processing of coal or oil -- used in asphalt or tar for road surfacing or waterproofing

coke

A hard, dry substance containing carbon that's produced by heating bituminous coal to a very high temperature in the absence of air

conveyor

A continuous moving belt that transports large volumes of material

deep mine

Type of mine created to access coal buried deep underground, characterised by a set of shafts dug straight down to the coal

demonstrated reserves

Portion of known coal reserves that could be profitably mined and marketed

dragline

A large machine used in the surface mining process to remove overburden, or layers of earth and rock, covering a coal seam

drift mine

Type of mine created to access coal seam exposed by the slope of a mountain, characterised by an entrance that is a horizontal tunnel into the seam of coal

fossil fuels

Naturally occurring fuels of an organic nature, such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas

lignite

type of coal with lowest carbon content (25% to 35%) and a heat value of only 4,000 to 8,300 BTUs-per-pound; called "brown coal"; used mainly for electric power generation

longwall mining

Mechanised technique used to "scrape" coal from a block several hundred feet wide

overburden

Layers of earth and rock covering a coal seam

peat

Partially carbonised vegetable material, usually found in bogs

photosynthesis

Process by which green plants converts light to energy by transforming carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates

reclamation

The process of restoring a surface mine site to its original contour, function, and appearance, thus "reclaiming" it

recoverable reserves

Portion of known demonstrated reserves (see above) that actually can be extracted from the earth and delivered to market with today's mining techniques

slurry

A mixture of water and any of several finely crushed solids, especially cement, clay, or coal

subbituminous

Type of coal with 35% to 45% carbon content and heat value of 8,300 to 13,000 BTUs-per-pound; generally has lower sulphur content than other types, and so is cleaner-burning

surface mine

Type of mine created to access coal seam close to the ground's surface, characterised by a scraping away of topsoil and overburden followed by direct digging of the coal