Why Do Coal Mines Explode?
The cause of the massive explosion that killed at least 25 miners in West Virginia yesterday remains unknown. But officials think methane gas likely contributed to the fatal blast at Massey Energy Co.’s Upper Big Branch mine. There are two main types of coal mine explosions: methane explosions and coal dust explosions. Methane explosions occur in mines when a buildup of methane gas, a byproduct of coal, comes into contact with a heat source, and there is not enough air to dilute the gas to levels below its explosion point, said Yi Luo, an associate professor of mining engineering at West Virginia University.
