The Relation of Geology to Mine Roof Conditions in the Pocahontas No. 3 Coalbed

摘要

Bureau of Mines studies of mine roof fall problems in the Pocahontas No. 3 Coalbed of southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia have established that type and sequence of rock are significant factors in roof competence. The poorest conditions occur where the immediate roof consists of slump structures and slickensided rock. The best conditions occur where the roof consists of a sequence that coarsens upward from shale to massive sandy shale. A small manual of color photographs of rock types was devised to aid in identifying drill cores. Proper identifications should enhance the prediction of areas of potential roof problems in advance of mining.