THE GLOBAL DIMENSION OF COAL MINE FIRES

Fires in coal mines are reported from nearly all parts of the world where coal is being mined. Yet, little data is compiled on the global dimension of this burning problem. Pieces of information are available from certain regions, but how do these pieces fit together, what is missing, why we know so little about some regions, are questions that have never been duly addressed. This paper addresses all these issues. The causes and hazards of coal mine fires are discussed. The current state of scientific research to understand, map, monitor, quantify and fight these fires is presented. Results from the authors' research raise questions and discussions. The most pertinent questions being - Are the threats from the coal mine fires limited to the region they occur or do the greenhouse gas emissions from these fires causing a global impact? Are these fires a natural hazard or are they man-made? This paper also presents the authors view on these concerns and recommendations on future research direction.