Opencast mining involves scraping at the ground’s surface, while room and pillar mining occurs below ground. Likewise, longwall mining uses heavy machinery to dig at coal seams beneath the surface.
Click through the interactive infographic to learn more about the different processes involved with coal mining.
Graphic © Ball State University for Circle of Blue
Infographic: Three types of coal mining. View infographic in a separate window.
Graphic by Season Schafer, Greg Hudson, Valerie Carnevale, Chelsea Kardokus, and Vicki Rosenberger, undergraduate students at Ball State University.