Remote Sensing-Based Mapping and Monitoring of Coal Fires

Abstract

Coal fires, or fires occurring in reserves of coal, are a phenomenon of global occurrence. Almost all large coal mining operations in the world have been threatened by coal fires at some time. An excellent compilation of case studies of fires in different parts of the world is presented in Stracher et al. (2013), which includes an online database and a scalable map showing locations of several reported coal fires worldwide (Gens, 2013). This section introduces commonly used terminology for different types of coal fires, why these fires are so common, what damage they can cause, and how remote sensing can be used to investigate coal fires. Coal fires occur on the surface and in the subsurface in coal mines across the globe. They present a threat to the environment and also an opportunity in remote sensing research to characterize, map, and monitor these fires with the intent to support mining operations, firefighters, and local communities.