Strippable Coal Reserves in Twelve Southern Iowa Counties

Estimates of strippable coal reserves were made for 12 counties in south-central Iowa, for the purpose of updating information regarding Iowa\u27s coal reserve base. Strippable coal here is defined as that coal occurring in seams no less than 28 inches (71 cm) thick and beneath no more than 150 feet (46 m) of overburden. Data concerning location, depth, and thickness of coal were obtained from county reports, and coal mine and water well records on file at the Iowa Geological Survey, supplemented by information from the survey\u27s coal drilling program. Extension of information outside known data points was made in accordance with procedures established by the United States Geological Survey. The all-too-frequent lack of good information about the character of Iowa coal, plus the geological complexity of the coal-bearing rock, make coal bed correlation extremely difficult and adversely affect the reliability of the estimates. About two billion tons (1.8 billion metric tons) of strippable coal are contained within the 12 counties investigated. Coal distribution maps prepared in conjunction with this study may be of value to future coal exploration in Iowa