Surface Mining

There are also many ways of mining coal on the surface as well.

Strip mining is a technique used to mine ore when the surface above the ore, or "overburden" is unsteady. In surface mining, the overburden is extracted and placed in the area where the ore from the previous mine has been evacuated. During the evacuation process, explosives are often used. This type of mining is easier, faster, and sometimes safer for miners. The devastation of the landscape however is extreme, with extra vegetation being deposited alongside the overburden and rain or flooding contaminating nearby water sources.

Contour mining is another type of surface mining. This type of mining, as suggested by its name, follows the contour of the hill or mountain to leave terraces in the hill. This method has both technical and economical limits. Although this method favors mountains regions, it is both unprofitable or technically impossible to continue after a certain point.

Mountaintop removal is the most controversial and environmentally damaging type of surface mining. In this method, the tops of hills or mountains are removed and pushed to areas between high elevation. The original area is never restored and water contamination is a large concern, despite being more financially effective and safer for miners.