Abstract
In attempting to predict coal cleat orientation in the subsurface for effective methane degasification of the coalbeds in the warrior coal field of Alabama, approximately 150 rock joint orientations and 45 coal cleat orientations were measured in each of 37 7-1/2-minute quadrangles in Tuscaloosa, Walker, Jefferson, Fayette, Winston, Blount, and Bibb Counties. Data from eight underground mines were corrected for magnetic declination, and tilted beds were rotated to the horizontal where necessary and plotted on rose diagrams for comparative analysis. Data collected on each joint and cleat consisted of attitude, quality, type, spacing, persistence, lithology, bedding thickness, surface texture, and filling. File data and published and unpublished reports from the state survey and the state mine inspector's office were reviewed. Twenty-seven mining companies, most of which supplied information pertinent to the project, were also contacted. The information obtained consisted of cropline and underground mine outlines, all of which were put on 7-1/2-minute topographic quadrangles. Landsat-1 imagery and skylab photography were compared with dominant joint and cleat trends in the study area.
