Jharia - Hell Hole

[knocker]

Across the world, thousands of underground coal fires are burning at any given moment. The problem is most acute in industrializing, coal-rich nations such as China. Global coal fire emission are estimated to include 40 tons of mercury going into the atmosphere annually, and three percent of the world's annual CO₂ emissions.

 

Besides destruction of the affected areas, coal fires often emit toxic gases, including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and methane. China's coal fires, which consume an estimated 20 – 200 million tons of coal a year, make up as much as 1 percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels.

 

Some of these fires have been burning for hundreds of years, Perhaps the most famous one is Burning Mountain in New South Wales. There the underground fire is estimated to be at a depth of around 30 m (98 ft). The scientific estimate is that the fire has burned for approximately 6,000 years

 

But for a veritable hell hole the fires in the coal mines under the Indian town of Jharia take some beating. The fires were first detected in 1916. All efforts to estinguish them have subsequently failed, and today, more than 70 continue to burn, creating a filthy smog that’s damaging the health of those who live nearby.

 

The coal field under Jharia is India's most important source of industrial-grade coking coal and meets the majority of the country's needs. Extending over an area of around 280 square kilometres. it consists of 23 large underground mines and nine open-cast mines. Although the government has made assurances that it's taking steps to fight the fires, activists claim that India's state coal company is deliberately neglecting the situation in the hope that residents will leave and it will be able to exploit the coal field- said to be worth almost £7.5billion - more profitably.

 

 

 

Slide show.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23422068

[Styx]

I wasn't aware of  Burning Mountain in New South Wales. It made me dash off to do a google search on it, so here's a few photographs of the place as an attachment to this story.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/burning-mountain

 

 

The coal field under Jharia is India's most important source of industrial-grade coking coal and meets the majority of the country's needs. Extending over an area of around 280 square kilometres. it consists of 23 large underground mines and nine open-cast mines. Although the government has made assurances that it's taking steps to fight the fires, activists claim that India's state coal company is deliberately neglecting the situation in the hope that residents will leave and it will be able to exploit the coal field- said to be worth almost £7.5billion - more profitably.

 

Perhaps the activists are contributing to the problem. If the coal industry is granted access to the reserves, they will also extinguish the fires, which currently appears to be emitting high levels of CO2 already, as well as other toxic gases, which are not filtered through coal power generation.

Not much is going to prevent India having a largely carbon based economy in the short-medium term, unless international agreements are hashed out and adhered to. It may just dry up the cost effectiveness of Australian coal exports  to the developing world, making it face up to it's own international responsibilities. Or am I dreaming.

 

 

 

Edited April 20, 2014 by Styx

[knocker]

I'm not sure about extinguishing the fires Styx as you have gathered it's not that easy. They have made numerous goes at the famous fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania that has been raging for 50 years without success. It's now an abandoned ghost town.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19169021

Edited April 20, 2014 by knocker

[The PIT]

This one is the gateway to hell http://www.isciencetimes.com/articles/6368/20131121/door-to-hell-video-fire-derweze-turkmenistan.htm

[knocker]

On an associated note I did some research some years ago on weather related, or suspected weather related, causes of mine fires and explosions. This is mainly due to changes in atmospheric and vapour pressure  but lightning comes into play as well.

 

The recent Sago Mine explosion in 2006 in West Virginia was possible an example of this although the cause was never conclusively established.

Briefly,  early reports noted that there was a thunderstorm in the area at the time and suggested a lightning strike near the mine entrance may have ignited methane, but no one reported seeing such a strike. Sensors from the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network indicated at least two cloud-to-ground lightning strikes near the mine. Another early theory was that lightning struck a methane well that had previously been drilled from the surface to an area behind the seals. Methane wells are used to extract methane from coal seams and sometimes from sealed areas when methane levels are high.

 

Storm systems are accompanied by low atmospheric pressure, which causes more methane to escape from coal seams and sealed areas. In winter the air is drier and less dense and creates a drier mine environment. Such conditions have been known to contribute to past mine fires and explosions. Other factors affecting methane liberation include whether the mine ventilation system is exhausting (negative pressure) or blowing (positive pressure), and the operating pressures of the fans.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sago_Mine_disaster

 

There was another explosion in a mine in Canada where the lightning travelled down a rail and ignited methane in the mine. In fact there are a number of cases where lightning is thought to be involved with explosions and I think it quite probable this applies to many of these long lasting fires as well.

Edited April 21, 2014 by knocker

[Polar Maritime]

Well that would be a great shame Knock ! Being one of the most interesting posters on this Forum.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Polar Maritime

[knocker]

Well that would be a great shame Knock ! Being one of the most interesting posters on this Forum.

 

Thanks PM. Having given it some thought, and the fact that the posts that offended me have been removed, I think it appropriate that I eat a touch of humble pie and apologise for throwing my toys out of the pram. I'm a bit long in the tooth to start acting like a drama queen. Get a grip knocker.

Edited April 21, 2014 by knocker

[laserguy]

That's the spirit! Don't know if you saw my post saying I'd be sad to see you leave (which has also been removed), but I'm glad you reconsidered.