The soil and dirt covering the coal are called?

The soil and dirt covering the coal are called?

• A. Overburden
• B. Subsoil
• C. Topsoil
• D. Bedrock

Answer: (A)

In surface mining, the material that sits on top of the coal seam is called overburden. This encompasses all the soil and rock that must be removed to reach the coal, and later it’s redistributed and graded during reclamation. Subsoil and topsoil are layers within that covering, with topsoil being the upper, nutrient-rich layer often saved for re-spreading to help vegetation return. Bedrock lies beneath the soil layers, not above the coal. So the covering over the coal itself is overburden.

In surface mining, the material that sits on top of the coal seam is called overburden. This encompasses all the soil and rock that must be removed to reach the coal, and later it’s redistributed and graded during reclamation. Subsoil and topsoil are layers within that covering, with topsoil being the upper, nutrient-rich layer often saved for re-spreading to help vegetation return. Bedrock lies beneath the soil layers, not above the coal. So the covering over the coal itself is overburden.