What are the different types of coal?

The coal formation process involves the burial of peat, which is made of partly decayed plant materials, deep underground. The heat and pressure of burial alters the texture and increases the carbon content of the peat, which transforms it into coal, a type of sedimentary rock. This process takes millions of years.

Types, or “ranks,” of coal are determined by carbon content. There are four types of coal, ordered from highest to lowest rank below.

Interactive map of shoreline change in Alaska

Information on this page was collected from the source acknowledged below:

Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys:

2014 AGI Critical Issues Forum: Additional Resources

Additional Resources

Survey Results from Forum (pdf)
Several brief, informal surveys questions were posed during the Forum. The results shown here reflect the views of the participants at the time and are presented for informational purposes only.

2014 AGI Critical Issues Forum: Presentations

Presentations

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Scott W. Tinker, Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, and State Geologist of Texas
"Natural Gas: Fortune or Folly"

Ms. Katherine Lorenz, President and Treasurer of The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation
“George P. Mitchell: The Power of Individuals to Change the World”

2014 AGI Critical Issues Forum: Speakers

Speakers & Moderators

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Scott W. Tinker, Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, and State Geologist of Texas
Ms. Katherine Lorenz, President and Treasurer of The Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation

Session Speakers & Moderators:

2014 AGI Critical Issues Forum: Meeting Agenda

Meeting Agenda

November 19

8:00-8:30 - Registration

8:30-8:45 - Introduction and Welcoming Remarks

8:45-10:00 - Keynote Address, Dr. Scott W. Tinker, Director, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, and State Geologist of Texas

10:00-10:30 - Break

2014 AGI Critical Issues Forum

The development of unconventional natural gas resources in the last decade has reshaped the energy mix in the U.S. Decisions that are being made now – often in sectors that may not have an obvious connection to gas production – will determine the energy mix over the coming decades.

AGI Critical Issues Forums

Making Produced Water More Productive

Friday, December 11, 2015

Overarching questions addressed in this webinar include:

What is produced water and how is it commonly disposed?
What environmental concerns does produced water pose?
What factors are influencing the demand for alternate applications of produced water?
What alternate uses for produced waters exist? What challenges do these alternatives face?

Our speakers include:

Kyle E. Murray, Ph.D., Oklahoma Geological Survey & University of Oklahoma | Slides Video
Jeri Sullivan Graham, Los Alamos National Laboratory | Slides Video
Holly Pearen, Environmental Defense Fund | Slides Video

Webinar Co-Sponsors:
Association of American State Geologists, American Association of Petroleum Geologists

CEU Credits

To earn CEU credits, please complete the associated on-demand GOLI course that was developed from this webinar with a grade of 70% or higher and then submit your application for CEUs. CEUs are awarded from the American Institute of Professional Geologists. To view the full list of on-demand GOLI courses, please browse the GOLI course catalog.

Resources to learn more:

View this webinar's Question & Answer session
Water Resources Research from the Oklahoma Geological Survey
U.S. EPA's Study of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas and Its Potential Impact on Drinking Water Resources (www.epa.gov/hfstudy)
National Research Council, 2010, Management and Effects of Coalbed Methane Produced Water in the Western United States
National Academies, 2017, Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation - Proceedings of a Workshop
U.S. Geological Survey, National Produced Waters Geochemical Database
National Energy Technology Laboratory, Produced Water Management Technology Descriptions

Search the Geological Surveys Database for reports and factsheets about produced water.

Making Produced Waters More Productive: Perspectives on produced water and saltwater disposal

What is the difference between weather and climate?

A simple answer to this question is “climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.”^[1]

American Geosciences Institute

critical issues