Coal will continue to provide a major portion of energy requirements in the United States for at least the next several decades. It is imperative that accurate information describing the amount, location, and quality of the coal resources and reserves be available to fulfill energy needs. It is also important that the United States extract its coal resources efficiently, safely, and in an environmentally responsible manner. A renewed focus on federal support for coal-related research, coordinated across agencies and with the active participation of the states and industrial sector, is a critical element for each of these requirements. Coal focuses on the research and development needs and priorities in the areas of coal resource and reserve assessments, coal mining and processing, transportation of coal and coal products, and coal utilization.

Coal Geology provides a complete integrated handbook on coal and all its properties, covering the physical and chemical properties of coal as well as coal petrology. It describes the age and occurence of coal; coal sampling and analysis; coal exploration; geophysics and hydrogeology of coal and coal mining techniques. It also discusses environmental concerns and computer technology, and includes an update on global coal reserves and production figures. First reference book to cover all aspects of coal geology in one volume Includes current thinking on environmental issues Presents a useful synopsis of the alternative uses of coal as a fuel Contains the distribution and reserves of coal deposits worldwide Offers a summary of the use of computing in coal studies, as well as coal sales and marketing opportunities Includes International Standards listings This up-to-date handbook successfully bridges the gap between academic aspects of coal geology and the practical role of geology in the coal industry and will be invaluable for all professionals and students in coal geology, geotechnical and mining engineering, and environmental science.

"This report (17 pages + a 14-page appendix) describes the coal stratigraphy, quality, and resource found in the Blackhawk Formation within four quadrangles in Sevier County, Utah ... There is a well-defined, potentially minable, 80-million-ton coal resource in the Wasatch Plateau portion of the study area, and a poorly defined, potentially minable, 690-million-ton coal resource in the Salina Canyon portion" -- Back label of container.