Coal in a Nutshell

Coal in a Nutshell Coal is an enormously valuable fossil fuel that has been used for hundreds of years in industry. It is made up of organic components; specifically, plant matter that has been buried in an anoxic, or non-oxygenated, environment and compressed over millions of years.   Fossil, Mineral or Rock? Because it is organic, coal defies the normal standards of classification for rocks, minerals, and fossils:   A fossil is any evidence of life that has been preserved in rock. The plant remains that make up coal have been pressure cooked for millions of years. Therefore, it is not accurate to say that they have been preserved.  Minerals are inorganic, naturally-occurring solids. While coal is a naturally-occurring solid, it is composed of organic plant material.Rocks are, of course, made up of minerals.   Talk to a geologist, though, and theyll tell you that coal is an organic sedimentary rock. Even though it doesnt technically meet the criteria, it looks like a rock, feels like a rock and is found between sheets of (sedimentary) rock. So in this case, it is a rock.   Geology isnt like chemistry or physics with their steadfast and consistent rules. It is an Earth science; and like the Earth, geology is full of exceptions to the rule.   State legislators struggle with this topic as well: Utah and West Virginia list coal as their  official state rock  while Kentucky named coal its  state mineral  in 1998.   Coal: the Organic Rock Coal differs from every other kind of rock in that it is made of organic carbon: the actual remains, not just mineralized fossils, of dead plants. Today, the vast majority of dead plant matter is consumed by fire and decay, returning its carbon to the atmosphere as the gas carbon dioxide. In other words, it is oxidized. The carbon in coal, however, was preserved from oxidation and remains in a chemically reduced form, available for oxidation. Coal geologists study their subject the same way that other geologists study other rocks. But instead of talking about the minerals that make up the rock (because there are none, just bits of organic matter), coal geologists refer to the components of coal as  macerals. There are three groups of macerals:  inertinite, liptinite, and vitrinite. To oversimplify a complex subject, inertinite is generally derived from plant tissues, liptinite from pollen and resins, and vitrinite from humus or broken-down plant matter. Where Coal Formed The old saying in geology is that the present is the key to the past. Today, we can find plant matter being preserved in anoxic places: peat bogs like those of Ireland or wetlands like the Everglades of Florida. And sure enough, fossil leaves and wood are found in some coal beds. Therefore, geologists have long assumed that coal is a form of peat  created by the heat and pressure of deep burial. The geologic process of turning peat into coal is called coalification. Coal beds are much, much larger than peat bogs, some of them tens of meters in thickness, and they occur all over the world. This says that the ancient world must have had enormous and long-lived anoxic wetlands when the coal was being made.   Geologic History of Coal While coal has been reported in rocks as old as Proterozoic (possibly 2 billion years) and as young as Pliocene (2 million years old), the great majority of the worlds coal was laid down during the Carboniferous Period, a 60-million-year stretch (359-299 m.y.a.) when sea level was high and forests of tall ferns and cycads grew in gigantic tropical swamps. The key to preserving the forests dead matter was burying it. We can tell what happened from the rocks that enclose the coal beds: there are limestones and shales on top, laid down in shallow seas, and sandstones beneath laid down by river deltas. Obviously, the coal swamps were flooded by advances of the sea. This allowed shale and limestone to be deposited on top of them. The fossils in the shale and limestone change from shallow-water organisms to deep-water species, then back to shallow forms. Then sandstones appear as river deltas advance into the shallow seas and another coal bed is laid down on top. This cycle of rock types is called a cyclothem. Hundreds of cyclothems occur in the rock sequence of the Carboniferous. Only one cause can do that - a long series of ice ages raising and lowering the sea level. And sure enough, in the region that was at the south pole during that time, the rock record shows abundant evidence of glaciers. That set of circumstances has never recurred, and the coals of the Carboniferous (and the following Permian Period) are the undisputed champions of their type. It has been argued that about 300 million years ago, some fungus species evolved the ability to digest wood, and that was the end of the great age of coal, although younger coal beds do exist. A genome study in Science gave that theory more support in 2012. If the wood was immune to rot before 300 million years ago, then perhaps anoxic conditions were not always necessary. Grades of Coal Coal comes in three main types or grades. First, the swampy peat is squeezed and heated to form a brown, soft coal called lignite. In the process, the material releases hydrocarbons, which migrate away and eventually become petroleum. With more heat and pressure lignite releases more hydrocarbons and becomes the higher-grade bituminous coal. Bituminous coal is black, hard and usually dull to glossy in appearance. Still greater heat and pressure yields anthracite, the highest grade of coal. In the process, the coal releases methane or natural gas. Anthracite, a shiny, hard black stone, is nearly pure carbon and burns with great heat and little smoke.   If coal is subjected to still more heat and pressure, it becomes a metamorphic rock as the macerals finally crystallize into a true mineral, graphite. This slippery mineral still burns, but it is much more useful as a lubricant, an ingredient in pencils and other roles. Still more valuable is the fate of deeply buried carbon, which at conditions found in the mantle is transformed into a new crystalline form: diamond. However, coal probably oxidizes long before it can get into the mantle, so only Superman could perform that trick.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sexual Assault and Abuse

Frequently Asked Questions About Sexual Assault and Abuse Protecting your child from sexual assault or helping your child if they have been sexually abused can be traumatic and confusing. Many people share the same questions and concerns. Here are comments, frequently asked question, and feedback about the topic of child abuse and sexual assault. 11 Common Frequently Asked Questions About Sexual Assault I am afraid of scaring my children by talking to them about sexual abuse, but I am also afraid not to talk to them about it. What should I do? Answer: There are many things that we teach our children to be careful about or about how to react to different scary situations. For example, how to cross the street (looking both ways) and what to do in the case of a fire (drop and roll). Add the topic of sexual abuse to the other safety tips that you give to your children and remember, the subject is often more frightening to parents than to their children. I do not know how to tell if someone is a sex offender. Its not like they wear a sign around their neck. Is there any sure way to identify them? Answer:  There is no way to tell who is a sex offender, with the exception of offenders listed on sex offender registries online. Even then, the chances that would recognize the offenders in a public place is questionable. That is why it is important to trust your instincts, keep an open dialog with your children, stay aware of your surroundings and the people involved with your children, and follow general safety guidelines. People may falsely accuse someone of being a sex offender or of being sexually abused.  How do you know for sure what or who to believe? Answer:  According to research, the crime of sexual assault is no more falsely reported than other crimes. In fact, victims of sexual assault, especially children, will often hide that they have been victimized because of self-blame, guilt, shame or fear. If someone (an adult or child) tells you that they have been sexually abused or identifies the person that sexually abused them, it is best to believe them and offer your full support. Avoid interrogating them and allow them  to decide the details that they are comfortable sharing with you. Help guide them to the proper channels for finding help. How does a parent possibly handle knowing that their child was sexually assaulted? I am fearful that I would fall apart. Answer: A common fear with children who have been victimized, is how their parents will react when they find out what has happened. Children want to make their parents happy, not upset them. They may feel ashamed and fear that it will somehow alter how a parent feels about them or relates to them. That is why it is paramount that if you know or suspect that your child has been sexually assaulted that you remain in control, make them feel safe, nurture them and show them your love. You must be strong and remember that the trauma that your child has endured is the issue. Redirecting the focus away from them to you, by displaying out of control emotions, is not be helpful. Find a support team and counseling to help you deal with your emotions so that you can remain strong for your child. How can children ever recover from such an experience? Answer:  Children are resilient. It has been shown that children who can talk about their experience with someone that they trust, often heals more quickly than those that keep it inside or who are not believed. Offering full parental support and providing the child with professional care can help the child and family to heal. Is it true that some children willingly participate in sexual activities and are partly to blame for what happened? Answer: Children cannot legally consent to sexual activity, even if they say that it was consensual. It is important to remember that  sexual abusers use deviant ways to gain control over their victims. They are highly manipulative, and it is common for them to make victims feel that they are to blame for the assault. If the child feels that they somehow caused the sexual assault, they will be less likely to tell their parents about it. When dealing with a child that has been sexually assaulted, it is important to reassure them that nothing that was done to them by an adult was their fault, no matter what the abuser did or said to make them feel otherwise. There is so much about sex offenders on the news. How can parents avoid being overprotective with their children? Answer: It is important that children learn how to react to the possible dangers that they may be confronted with in life. By being overprotective or exhibiting irrational fear, children tend to become helpless. It is more productive to teach children common sense, provide them with the information that can help them, and keep an open and inviting dialog going so that they feel safe to talk about their problems. I am fearful that I will not know that my child has been a victim. How can a parent tell? Answer:   Unfortunately, some children never tell that they have been victims of sexual abuse. However, the more informed parents are about what to look for, the better the odds are that they will recognize that something has happened to their child. Learn to keep close tabs on your instincts and look for any change in your childs behavior that is concerning. Do not dismiss thoughts that something might be wrong.   Is the court process terribly traumatic for child victims? Are they forced to relive the abuse? Answer:  Ã‚  Children who go through the court process often feel that they had regained the control that was lost when they were sexually assaulted. The court process can become part of the healing process. In many states, there are professionally trained personnel and child-friendly places designed to help child victims through the interview process. If my child is a victim of sexual abuse, does talking to them about it afterward make it worse? Answer:  Ã‚  A child should not feel that they are being forced to talk about being sexually assaulted. Be careful that you are opening the door for them to talk, but not forcing them through the door. Most children will open up when they are ready. It will help them to get to that point by knowing that when that time comes, you will be there for them. What should I do if I suspect someone is sexually abusing my child or child in the neighborhood? Answer:  Ã‚  It is best to contact the authorities and let them investigate. If you suspect the abuse because of something your child or another child told you, your primary role is to believe the child and give them your support.