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They might not get the chance: latest news[1] this morning is that some of the coal seams have caught fire underground! This is catastrophic. Underground coal

They might not get the chance: latest news[1] this morning is that some of the coal seams have caught fire underground! This is catastrophic. Underground coal (and oil) fires are near-impossible to put out and are generally just left alone to burn, usually for decades before/if they run out of fuel. [1] https://twitter.com/maetl/status/1213420680579964929?s=20 https://twitter.com/maetl/status/1213420680579964929?s=20

selimthegrim 7y ago
Is there a source for this assertion?
- scrollaway 7y ago
  It's a decently well-known phenomenon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire -- Started burning in 1962. Still burning today and on track to burn for another 250 years.
  - selimthegrim 7y ago
    I meant the news item, but thank you.
pnako 7y ago
The oldest one is about 6,000 years old https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Mountain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Mountain
squarefoot 7y ago
If that's the case then it's truly catastrophic. As an example, the Centralia (USA) mine coal-seam fire started in 1962 is extimated to last for about 250 more years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire Assuming we have the technology, removing underground oxygen might help to put out the underground fires, though I can't imagine any process not involving either pumping sea water down there which would make the land sterile for vegetation, or slowly replacing oxygen with CO2 which would be even worse.
- blueatlas 7y ago
  Carbondale, PA tried flooding and other techniques for the time (1950's), but ultimately the only way to extinguish it was by digging it out. It took about 10 years and it is estimated more earth than the Panama Canal was moved for the dig. It came within 20 feet of expanding into the core of the city and leading to what happened in Centrailia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbondale_mine_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbondale_mine_fire
vjng 7y ago
Quite a lot of the coal mines in Australia are open cut unfortunately. That's just one underground mine of many.

selimthegrim 7y ago

Is there a source for this assertion?

scrollaway 7y ago
It's a decently well-known phenomenon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal-seam_fire For example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire -- Started burning in 1962. Still burning today and on track to burn for another 250 years.
- selimthegrim 7y ago
  I meant the news item, but thank you.

pnako 7y ago

The oldest one is about 6,000 years old https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Mountain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Mountain

squarefoot 7y ago

If that's the case then it's truly catastrophic. As an example, the Centralia (USA) mine coal-seam fire started in 1962 is extimated to last for about 250 more years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire Assuming we have the technology, removing underground oxygen might help to put out the underground fires, though I can't imagine any process not involving either pumping sea water down there which would make the land sterile for vegetation, or slowly replacing oxygen with CO2 which would be even worse.

blueatlas 7y ago
Carbondale, PA tried flooding and other techniques for the time (1950's), but ultimately the only way to extinguish it was by digging it out. It took about 10 years and it is estimated more earth than the Panama Canal was moved for the dig. It came within 20 feet of expanding into the core of the city and leading to what happened in Centrailia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbondale_mine_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbondale_mine_fire

vjng 7y ago

Quite a lot of the coal mines in Australia are open cut unfortunately. That's just one underground mine of many.