The Story of a Piece of Coal: What It Is, Whence It Comes, and Whither It GoesMartin, Edward A. (Edward Alfred)
Science
The Story of a Piece of Coal: What It Is, Whence It Comes, and Whither It Goes
Martin, Edward A. (Edward Alfred)
Coal
On the west of the chain of mountains the foldings become gentler, and
the coal assumes an almost horizontal position. In passing through Ohio
we find a saddle-back ridge or anticline of more ancient strata than the
coal, and in consequence of this, we have a physical boundary placed upon
the coal-fields on each side.
Passing across this older ridge of denuded Silurian and other rocks, we
reach the famous Illinois and Indiana coal-field, whose
coal-measures lie in a broad trough, bounded on the west by the uprising
of the carboniferous limestone of the upper Mississippi. This limestone
formation appears here for the first time, having been absent on the
eastern side of the Ohio anticline. The area of the coal-field is
estimated at 51,000 square miles.
In connection with the coal-fields of the United States, it is
interesting to notice that a wide area in Texas, estimated at 3000 square
miles, produces a large amount of coal annually from strata of the
Liassic age. Another important area of production in eastern Virginia
contains coal referable to the Jurassic age, and is similar in fossil
contents to the Jurassic of Whitby and Brora. The main seam in eastern
Virginia boasts a thickness of from 30 to 40 feet of good coal.
Very serviceable lignites of Cretaceous age are found on the Pacific
slope, to which age those of Vancouver's Island and Saskatchewan River
are referable.
Other coal-fields of less importance are found between Lakes Huron and
Erie, where the measures cover an area of 5000 square miles, and also in
Rhode Island.
In British North America we find extensive deposits of valuable
coal-measures. Large developments occur in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
At South Joggins there is a thickness of 14,750 feet of strata, in which
are found seventy-six coal-seams of 45 feet in total thickness. At Picton
there are six seams with a total of 80 feet of coal. In the lower
carboniferous group is found the peculiar asphaltic coal of the Albert
mine in New Brunswick. Extensive deposits of lignite are met with both in
the Dominion and in the United States, whilst true coal-measures flank
both sides of the Rocky Mountains. Coal-seams are often encountered in
the Arctic archipelago.
The principal areas of deposit in South America are in Brazil, Uruguay,
and Peru. The largest is the Candiota coal-field, in Brazil, where
sections in the valley of the Candiota River show five good seams with a
total of 65 feet of coal. It is, however, worked but little, the
principal workings being at San Jeronimo on the Jacahahay River.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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