Abstract: Availability and Application of National Coal-Resource Data System

M. Devereux Carter, Antoinette L. Medlin

A computer-based coal-resource data system has been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. This interactive conversational query system allows access to these data by any interested party, either on request through the Geological Survey, or by independent remote access through any standard computer terminal. Development of the system has been in two phases to accommodate the availability and complexity of the data.

Phase I, which is currently available, contains published resource and chemical data on an areal basis, such as state, county, township, or field. The user can retrieve and tabulate aggregated coal-resource-related data from the area file to compile local, regional, or national summary reports.

Phase II is being developed to store, retrieve, and manipulate basic point-source coal data (e.g., field observations, drill-hole logs), including geodetic location; bed thickness; depth of burial; moisture; ash; sulfur; major-, minor-, and trace-element content; heat value; and characteristics of overburden, roof, and floor rocks. The computer system may be used to generate interactively structure-contour, isopach, or isoline maps of the physical and chemical characteristics of a coal bed or to calculate coal resources.

State, industrial, and university groups are urged to participate in the standardization of coal terminology and data-collection procedures, collection and entry of coal quantity and quality data, and utilization of the system.

All data should be available to all users of the system. However, where essential, confidentiality will be preserved, and only aggregated data will be provided to the general user.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90972©1976 AAPG-SEPM Annual Convention and Exhibition, New Orleans, LA