Removal of coal by machines scooping it out and replacing the soil and plant life
Also known as a "strip mine," this refers to a mine where the coal seam lies sufficiently close to the surface to extract the coal by removing the overburden to uncover the seam, sweeping the seam clean of sand and other adulterating materials, and excavating the coal for shipment to utility, industrial and metallurgical facilities.
A coal-producing mine that extends no deeper than a few hundred feet down from the surface. Material above the coal (overburden) is removed to expose the coal bed, which is then mined by surface methods such as area, contour, mountaintop removal, strip, open-pit, or auger.
A coal mine in which the coal lies near the surface and can be extracted by removing the covering layer of soil (see "Overburden"). About 60% of total U.S. coal production comes from surface mines.
type of mine created to access coal seam close to the ground's surface, characterize by a scraping away of topsoil and overburden followed by direct digging of the coal.
extract (ore) from a strip-mine
A mine in which the coal lies near the surface and can be extracted by removing the covering layers of rock and soil.