coal mining | Area strip mining Students | Britannica ...
coal mining Area strip mining Area mining, applied where the terrain is flat, commences with a trench or "box cut" made through the overburden to expose a portion of the coal seam. This trench is extended to the limits of the property in the strike direction. After coal removal, a second cut is made parallel to the first one, and the overburden material from this cut is placed in the ...