GEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION FOR COAL

1. Name
COAL : 100% coal
Shaly COAL : 55 % to 99 % coal
SHALE – COAL : 45 % to 55 % coal
Coaly SHALE : less than 45 % coal
SHALE : 100 % shale
Notes : 1. Shale also can be as mudstone,
sandstone or other materials
2. See also parting
2. Brightness
Bright
Medium Bright 7. Breaking Performance
A. Idealised weathering profiles without corestones (left) and
Dull with corestones (right) Angular Concoidal Fissile Splintery
Crumbly Hackly Earthly
3. Colour 8. Cleat Spacing
5. Strength Cracks which are perpendicular or parallel to the bedding. Report the spacing in
Parameter Terms mm and cleat position.
Term Unconfined Field Test
Value Light, Dark
Compressive
9. Parting/Bands
Chroma Pinkish, Reddish, Yellowish, Consist of fine laminae/lenses of clay/silt/ sand or pyrite or resin. Report the
Orangish, Bluish, Brownish, Strength thickness of lamination/lenses in mm or percentage of pyrite or resin.
Greenish, Greyish ( MN / m2 )
Hue Pink, Red, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Very weak 0.60 - 1.25 Easily broken by 10. Contact Condition
hand. Penetrated to
Green, Blue, Purple, White, Grey, about 5 mm with Describe contact between coal with other material at roof and floor. Sharp or
Black knife. Gradational
Note : For uniform colour distribution, choose a hue,supplemented by value and or chroma if necessary.For Weak 1.25 - 5.0 Broken by leaning
on sample with
non-uniform distribution repeat this procedure using one of the following descriptors : spotted,mottled,
dappled, streaked, striped ( e.g light yellowish brown mottled with red ) Scale whet bar sample was hammer. No 11. Orientations
wet or dry when described ( see moisture condition ) penetration with
knife. Scratched
Describe by strike and dip direction of bedding plane. Example
4. Weathering with thumbnail. N 1350 E/210 SE
Moderately 5.0 - 12.5 Broken in hand by

Grade Description
Weak hitting
hammer. Scratched
with
12. Chemical Structure
with knife. Nodule Pyrite
I Fresh. No visible sign of rock material weathering; perhaps a slight Moderately 12.5 - 50 Broken against
discoloration on major discontinuity surfaces. Strong solid object with Ironstone Concretion
II Slightly Weathered. Discoloration indicates weathering of rock material Strong 50 - 100
hammer.
Difficult to break
13. Discontinuity
and discontinuity surfaces. All the rock material may be discoloured by against solid object If needed, see rock description for engineering geology or Geotechnical
weathering. with hammer.
Very Strong 100 - 200 Requires many
III Moderately Weathered. Less than of the rock material is decomposed or blows of hammer
disintegrated to a soil. Fresh or discoloured rock is present either as a to fracture sample.
continuous framework or as corestones. Extremely > 200 Sample can only
Strong be chipped with
IV Highly Weathered. More than half of the rock material is decomposed or hammer.
disintegrated to a soil. Fresh or discoloured rock is present either as a
discontinuous framework or as corestones.
6. Streaking Colour
V Completely Weathered. All rock material is decomposed and or
disintegrated to soil. The original mass structure is still largely intact. Black Blackish Brown Brownish black Description Ex1. COAL, bright, black, concoidal frc., slightly weathered, moderately weak, black streaking,
angular break, parallel cleat, sharp contact, N1350 E/210SE, phyrite rare.
Brown Black brown
VI Residual Soil. All rock material is converted to soil. The mass structure
and material fabric are destroyed. There is a large change in volume, but
the soil has not been significantly transported.

Engserver / template /geology / Field Coal Description01