COAL_AVAILABILITY_SPRINGFIELD_IN: Resources of the Springfield Coal Member (Carbondale Formation, Pennsylvanian System) in Indiana That Have Favorable Geologic and Land Use Characteristics for Mining (Indiana Geological Survey, Polygon Shapefile)

Description Spatial Attributes

Keywords
Theme: geoscientificInformation

Description
Abstract
COAL_AVAILABILITY_SPRINGFIELD_IN identifies those resources of the Springfield Coal in Indiana that have
favorable geologic and land use characteristics for surface and underground mining, as well as
those which have unfavorable geologic and land use characteristics.  In addition,
COAL_AVAILABILITY_SPRINGFIELD_IN describes the geology of the Springfield Coal, including coal
thickness, coal depth, and stripping ratio.

The following criteria were used to identify Springfield Coal resources with favorable
characteristics for surface mining:

1.  Overburden is less than 200 feet thick.

2.  Springfield Coal is greater than 14 inches thick.

3.  The stripping ratio is less than 25:1, where stripping ratio is defined as the cubic yards of
overburden above the Springfield Coal divided by tons of Springfield Coal.

4.  The unconsolidated deposits which overly the Springfield Coal are less than 60 feet thick.

5.  Springfield Coal is not within 200 feet (horizontal distance) of underground mines.

6.  Springfield Coal is not within an area having 8 or more oil wells per 40 acres.

7.  Springfield Coal is not within 2,640 feet (horizontal distance) of cities.

8.  Springfield Coal is not within 100 feet (horizontal distance) of State or Federal parks.

9.  Springfield Coal is not within 100  feet (horizontal distance) of pipelines.

10.  Springfield Coal is not within 100 feet (horizontal distance) of railroads.

11.  Springfield Coal is not within 100 feet (horizontal distance) of paved roads.

12.  In areas where the Springfield Coal is less than 50 feet deep, a contiguous area of Springfield Coal
contains more than 175,000 raw tons of coal.

13.  In areas where the Springfield Coal is greater than 50 feet deep, a contiguous area of Springfield
Coal contains more than 590,000 raw tons of coal.

The following criteria were used to identify Springfield Coal resources with favorable characteristics
for underground mining:

1.  Overburden is greater than 100 feet thick.

2.  Springfield Coal is greater than 42 inches thick.

3.  The thickness of bedrock overlying the Springfield Coal is greater than 75 feet thick.

4.  Where the Springfield Coal is greater than 150 feet deep, the ratio of the thickness of bedrock to
the thickness of unconsolidated deposits overlying the Springfield Coal is greater than 1:1.

5.  Springfield Coal is not within 200 feet (horizontal distance) of underground mines.

6.  Springfield Coal is not within one half mile (horizontal distance) of the "Galatia Channel"
(a paleochannel that has eroded the Springfield Coal).

7.  Springfield Coal is not within 800 feet (horizontal distance) of geologic faults which offset the coal.

8.  Springfield Coal is not within an area having 8 or more oil wells per 40 acres.

9.  Springfield Coal is not within 100 feet (horizontal distance) of cities.

10.  Springfield Coal is not within 100 feet (horizontal distance) of State or Federal parks.

11. Springfield Coal is not within 100 feet (horizontal distance) of an interstate highway.

12. A contiguous area of Springfield Coal contains more than 80 million tons of raw coal.

Purpose
COAL_AVAILABILITY_SPRINGFIELD_IN is a modified version of an ESRI ArcInfo polygon coverage that was created as a necessary
component of a USGS-sponsored Coal Availability study to assess the resources of the Springfield Coal in
Indiana, and to identify those resources that have the most favorable geologic and land use
characteristics for mining. The results of this study include county-based tabular reports of the
tonnage of original Springfield Coal resources in place, remaining resources after mining, resources
unlikely to be mined due to geologic and land use factors, and Springfield Coal resources that are
deemed "available" (i.e., favorable) for mining according to the criteria of this study.

_________________

Status of the data

Time period for which the data is relevant

Publication Information
_________________

Data storage and access information

Details about this document