Gas emissions, minerals, and tars associated with three coal fires, Powder River Basin, USA.
Ground-based surveys of three coal fires and airborne surveys of two of the fires were conducted near Sheridan, Wyoming. The fires occur in natural outcrops and in abandoned mines, all containing Paleocene-age subbituminous coals. Diffuse (carbon dioxide (CO(2)) only) and vent (CO(2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane, hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S), and elemental mercury) emission estimates were made for each of the fires. Additionally, gas samples were collected for volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis and showed a large range in variation between vents. The fires produce locally dangerous levels of CO, CO(2), H(2)S, and benzene, among other gases. At one fire in an abandoned coal mine, trends in gas and tar composition followed a change in topography. Total CO(2) fluxes for the fires from airborne, ground-based, and rate of fire advancement estimates ranged from 0.9 to 780mg/s/m(2) and are comparable to other coal fires worldwide. Samples of tar and coal-fire minerals collected from the mouth of vents provided insight into the behavior and formation of the coal fires.
U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA 20192, USA. engle@usgs.gov
Mark A
MA
Engle
Lawrence F
LF
Radke
Edward L
EL
Heffern
Jennifer M K
JM
O'Keefe
James C
JC
Hower
Charles D
CD
Smeltzer
Judith M
JM
Hower
Ricardo A
RA
Olea
Robert J
RJ
Eatwell
Donald R
DR
Blake
Stephen D
SD
Emsbo-Mattingly
Scott A
SA
Stout
Gerald
G
Queen
Kerry L
KL
Aggen
Allan
A
Kolker
Anupma
A
Prakash
Kevin R
KR
Henke
Glenn B
GB
Stracher
Paul A
PA
Schroeder
Yomayra
Y
Román-Colón
Arnout
A
ter Schure
D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D003031:Coal; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005390:Fires; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D014959:Wyoming
D003031:Coal; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D008628:Mercury; D008697:Methane; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide