Red Waterfall

STHE WATERFALLDemonstrating acid mnine drainageThe water here is acid and iron-rich, coming up to the surface from
underground mines, stairung the-rocks ruspred. Acid mine drainage (AMID) is
a major source of water pollution. Cause of extensive stream environmental damage.The Ocean Coal Company, a subsidiaries of Bevind- White Coal Company
Philadelphia, PA, esaiblished several mines in this region including, in 1900,
Ocean No. 2. It is purported that drainage from ocean No. 2 is the chief cause
of the Red WaterfallWhy is it acidic and full of iron?
Hundreds of millions of years ago, the massive Pittsburgh Coal Seam formed
underneath parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohiờ from ancient
swamp plants. Sand, silts, shells, and other -matter were deposited and made a
rock seal over the carbon-rich vegetation, This rock contained the mineral
"pyrite," made of iron and sulfurCoal mining exposes pyrite to oxygen and ground water causing the formation
of sulfuric acid and a number of red, orange, and yellow compound s. AMD
occurs when this mine water seeps, or in this-case, bursts out into
Streams. The yellow sulfur can be seen in the shale near coal seams.GRESCHIN
DASSAGE
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