Study of the Impact of Surface Coal Mining on the Terrestrial Carbon Reservoir

Surface Coal Mining

• Surface Coal Mining is an ore extraction method to harvest coal buried under the land-surface.

• Surface Coal Mining is also referred to as Mountaintop Coal Mining Methods

Surface coal mining or Mountaintop coal mining methods: steep-slope mining, mountaintop removal, contour mining and area mining

Sources: Wickham et al. (2007), Office of Surface Mining (http://www.osmre.gov/

From: http://66.113.204.26/mining/coalsrf1.htm

From: http://66.113.204.26/mining/coalsrf1.htm

From: http://66.113.204.26/mining/coalsrf1.htm

From: http://66.113.204.26/mining/coalsrf1.htm

From: http://www.ohvec.org/galleries/mountaintop_removal/007/oalsrf1.htm

From: http://www.ohvec.org/galleries/mountaintop_removal/007/oalsrf1.htm

From: http://www.ohvec.org/galleries/mountaintop_removal/007/oalsrf1.htm

Surface Coal Mining

• Coal-burning is a major source of energy in the United States and worldwide.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/coal/statepro/imagemap/usaimagemap.htm

http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelcoal.html

Surface Coal Mining

According to data from the USDOE Energy Information Administration:

• Coal accounted for 23.2 quadrillion Btu’s per year of the energy produced in the United States or 33% of the total energy produced.

• Globally coal accounted for 102.4 quadrillion Btu’s per year of the energy produced or 25% of the world’s energy source.

Surface Coal MiningLooking to the future, the abundant reserves of coal in industrialized as well as developing countries serves as a practical means for inexpensive energy production while helping countries work towards energy independence. Bottom line: coal is cheap and there is lots of it…

Surface Coal Mining

…However, it is well known that coal burning produces greenhouse gases.

Surface Coal MiningCoal-burning has been recognized as a major

carbon dioxide (CO2) emission source to the atmosphere, which is a primary greenhouse gas.

CO2 is transparent to light but rather opaque to heat rays. Therefore, CO2 in the atmosphere allows light to pass to the earth’s surface but retards the radiation of heat from the earth back into space — the “greenhouse effect”. Thus the biosphere becomes warmed.

Recent research has shown increased CO2 levels in the earth’s atmosphere over the past 50 yrs due to fossil

fuel burning.

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CarbonCycle.html

Surface Coal Mining

According to data from the USDOE Energy Information Administration:

• Coal consumption for energy production and manufacturing was responsible for 2.10 billion metric tons per year of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere in the United States from 1997 to 2006 accounting for 36% of the CO2 produced in the United States due to the burning of fossil fuels.

• 9.77 billion metric tons of CO2 per year were emitted worldwide due to coal burning accounting for 38% of world’s CO2 emissions due to fossil fuel consumption.

Surface Coal Mining

Environmental mandates and carbon budgeting efforts have placed increased importance upon reduction of greenhouse gas emission (GHG) from coal-fired plants. Efforts to reduce GHG emission have recently placed emphasis upon CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) methods. CCS research and development efforts are undoubtedly focused upon reducing CO2 emissions during coal burning in order produce a more eco-friendly technology.

Notwithstanding the importance of CCS efforts to improve the imprint of coal burning on the environment, more importance needs to be placed on the impacts of coal mining upon terrestrial carbon including plant C, soil C and sediment C in streams and rivers.

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

Why Terrestrial Carbon?

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

Source: http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/carbon/efcarbon.html

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

Numbers are:

Gt C = Gigatons Carbon (109 metric tons)

which is the same as

Pg C = Petagrams Carbon (1015 grams)

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

Source: http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/carbon/efcarbon.html

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

While the carbon reservoirs and the associated fluxes are well known, the actual magnitude of the fluxes is not well known for terrestrial carbon sources.

The carbon cycle is a closed system, however, the cycle is NOT balanced. The unbalance of the carbon cycle is attributed to the “missing terrestrial sink”.

The increase in atmospheric CO2 is only about one-half of what would have been expected from the amount of fossil fuel consumption and forest burning over the past 50 years.

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http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CarbonCycle.html

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

“Unbalance” for the 1990s. The average increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels do not balance with the fossil fuel emissions, emissions from land-use change and oceanic uptake. Hence the “Missing Carbon Sink” much of which is attributed to terrestrial carbon changes in reforestation, soils and particulate and dissolved carbon fluxes associated with inland freshwater ecosystems, i.e., streams, lakes and rivers (Cole et al. 2007; Van Oost 2007; Mayorga et al. 2005; Mayorga 2008; Pacala 2001)

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

Currently, scientists and engineers are faced with the task of re-examining terrestrial carbon storage and flux. Important questions are:

What is the uptake of carbon associated with reforestation?

What is the flux of C (outgassing) from streams?How does land-use disturbance redistribute

carbon? What are the biogeochemical processes governing

terrestrial carbon fluxes?

Carbon Cycle and Terrestrial Carbon

Currently, scientists and engineers are faced with the task of re-examining terrestrial carbon storage and flux. Important questions are:

What is the uptake of carbon associated with reforestation?

What is the flux of C (outgassing) from streams?How does land-use disturbance redistribute

carbon? What are the biogeochemical processes governing

terrestrial carbon fluxes?

Study of the Impact of Surface Coal Mining on the Terrestrial Carbon Reservoir

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Impact of Surface Coal Mining on the Terrestrial Carbon Reservoir

Surface coal mining or MCM removes above ground vegetation, which is harvested for timber or logged, removes soil C which is mineralized or stockpiled, and causes the erosion of sediment particulate organic matter to streams and rivers of which the fate is unknown for stream systems (Shrestha and Lal 2006; Cole et al. 2007).

From: http://www.ohvec.org/galleries/mountaintop_removal/007/

oalsrf1.htm

Impact of Surface Coal Mining on the Terrestrial Carbon Reservoir

Figure 1. Surface coal mining disturbance in Appalachian forests. 1

2

3

4

Overburden being removed to extract coal

Undisturbed areas

Original valley filled in with spoil and reclaimed with grassland

(b)

(a)

In addition, after mining spoil is replaced to the land-surface. The reclaimed land surface contains high amounts of coal fragments or geogenic organic matter of which the fate is unknown. Further, after mining the land is reclaimed and begins to re-grow vegetation. The uptake of soil and non-soil (plant) C on reclaimed lands is not well established.

Study of the Impact of Surface Coal Mining on the Terrestrial Carbon Reservoir is particularly important

in the Southern Appalachian Forest Region, USA.

Southern Appalachian forest region

Coal Reserves in the United States

SAFR

Source: http://www.ket.org/Trips/Coal/AGSMM/agsmmwhere.html

Southern Appalachian forest region

• The SAFR is located in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia and portions of eastern Tennessee.

• The mountainous region is characterized by lush, temperate rain forests with high carbon storage.

• Based on data from the United States Department of Energy (DOE), the SAFR was responsible for 23.3% of the coal produced in the United States during the time period from 1995 to 2007 (250 million tonnes per yr). The SAFR is estimated to have 23.9 billion tonnes of high quality coal remaining in the study area.

Southern Appalachian forest region

Appalachian surface or mountaintop coal mining methods were increased substantially in the SAFR during the early 1990s due to the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act prompting energy generation industries to favor sources of low-sulfur coal coupled with the development of larger and more efficient machinery for excavation and removal (Wickham et al. 2007).

Southern Appalachian forest region

• Terrestrial carbon in the SAFR has been impacted by widespread use of MCM methods over the past two decades.

• It has been estimated that the 4,856,247 ha SAFR was 92% forest in 1992 and that mountaintop coal mining methods will remove 6.8% of the forest between 1992 and 2012 (USEPA 2005).

Southern Appalachian Forest Region

a. b.

c. d.

Figure 39. a) Close-up of LUC H on the Land Use Change Map b) Coal Seams running through LUC H c) 1995 aerial of LUC H d) 2004 Aerial of LUC H (See File: Michelle\PROJECTS\Lilliwood Environmental (REU) Forest Project\Final Paper\Figures\Land Use Change Sites File: Site LUC H)

Carbon redistribution due to MCM methods in the SAFR

Carbon redistribution from MCM Current Practices CCS TechnologySoil C removed 0.7(±0.5) 3.1(±2.1)Non-soil C removed 1.8(±0.4) 7.6(±1.0)GOC transferred to the soil reservoir 7.8(±1.5) 33.7(±3.8)Total terrestrial C redistributed from MCM 10.3(±2.4) 44.5(±7.1)

Emission during coal energy production 85.5 37.0Fossil fuel emission during coal extraction 2.7 11.5Fossil fuel emission during coal transportation 1.6 7.0Total C emitted from MCM 89.7 55.5

Total C redistributed from MCM 100.0 100.0

The flux of carbon associated with terrestrial losses and redistribution during surface coal mining warrants further research.

• The amount of aboveground, plant C and soil C removed during mining operations and the fate of these C pools is not well known.

• The fate of organic carbon associated with sediment particulate organic matter that is eroded from mining and reclaimed sites is unknown.

• The storage and fate of geogenic organic matter on reclaimed lands is not well known nor is the uptake of atmospheric C during re-growth and the re-establishment of the soil column.

The focus of this REU/RET is to better understand the impact of surface coal mining on Terrestrial Carbon Losses and Redistributions in the coal mining lands of the Southern Appalachian Forest Region.

We will place specific emphasis upon studying the change in soil carbon and carbon associated with sediment particulate organic matter in streams in order to understand changes in terrestrial carbon. For example:

• Measure changes in the soil carbon reservoir at un-mined, mined, and reclaimed mining sites.

• Measure the impacts of coal mining upon erosion of carbon in watersheds with various levels of disturbance.

To perform the studies we will focus on small-scales, such as the footprint of a single mining site, and then scale-up to address regional carbon budgeting scales.

Study Watersheds for Studying Terrestrial Carbon Losses and Redistribution

Study Watersheds for Studying Terrestrial Carbon Losses and Redistribution

Study Watersheds for Studying Terrestrial Carbon Losses and Redistribution

Research Program Objectives

The Objectives of the Research Program has been divided into two parts including:

1. “Study of Soil and Plant Carbon on Surface Mining Sites with Different Soil Bulk Density” ------- Soils Team

2. “Study of Carbon Source, Fate and Transport in Southern Appalachian Watersheds” ------- Stream Team

**REU participants will focus on Objective 1 or 2 and be part of the Soils Team and Stream Team.

“Study of Soil and Plant Carbon on Surface Mining Sites with Different Soil Bulk Density”

------- Soils Team1. Spatially investigate the amount and distribution of carbon in

surface mined soils in Southern Appalachian forests using a geospatial tool (i.e., GIS) ---gis…

2. Investigation of soil carbon storage and distribution on traditional versus ARRI soils ---soil sampling…

3. Investigation of plant inventory and succession on traditional versus ARRI soils ---plants…

4. Investigation of carbon and nutrient cycling on traditional versus ARRI soils ---small scale biogeochemical…

5. Compare plants between sites with and without bees through initial sampling ---bees/plant health…

6. Use a numerical model to make long-term estimates of soil carbon, plant and nutrients on traditional versus ARRI soils ---century…

“Study of Carbon Source, Fate and Transport in Southern Appalachian Watersheds” -------

Stream Team1. Spatially investigate the linkages between the biological

populations and their habitat, land disturbance and hydrology and sediment using a geospatial tool (i.e., GIS) ---RHA, LULC and gis…

2. Investigate changes in POC signature across size classes as it is transported from source to sink ---fate…

3. Investigate the POC trapping efficiency in the streambed for cobbles and gravels ---cobble fate…

4. Investigate sediment transport loading in watersheds with various layers of disturbance ---transport…

REU Research Method

To perform our investigations we will use the scientific method. Each REU participant will ask a scientific question, state a hypothesis and complete the design of a experimental data collection in the field to work towards addressing the hypothesis.

REU Participants

The aim is to expose undergraduate participants to a variety of field and laboratory methodologies used in environmental research to

(a) help you learn critical thinking that can be used in all scientific disciplines,

(b) help you explore and define your own career interests or specializations,

(c) prepare you for future work in collaborative team and interdisciplinary scientific settings, and

(d) conduct independent research projects using advanced instrumentation and new curricula.

REU Participants

Upon completion of the program, REU participants will have: (a) developed and conducted an independent research project; (b) presented the findings of their research to the faculty mentors

and other project participants;(c) written a manuscript suitable for publication in an academic

journal; and (d) written an abstract for a professional conference.

In addition, participants will also be eligible for a $500 stipend towards presentation of their findings at a local or state professional conference, a REU poster session or conference at NSF in Washington, or at a national conference in their discipline in consultation with mentoring faculty at their home institution.

What’s Next?

• Gain a better understanding of coal mining and the carbon budget.

• Literature Reading!!!• Gain An Understanding of Your Research Tools: study and

learn field and lab methods and study the use of C and N stable isotopic and elemental measurements.

• Gain an understanding of your field sites.• Gain a better understanding of past data that has been

collected at your study sites.• Start thinking towards focusing on a program objective and

then a research hypothesis.

Questions?