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Conventional blasting - Surface coal mining involves breaking and moving the rock above the coal. Explosive are used to help break the rock. Once broken, the overburden can be moved with machinery.
This video shows a conventional coal mine blast that slightly heaves the rock as it is being broken. At completion of the blast the rock remains in its original position and is then physically moved with machinery to access the coal. Note the ground vibrations generated by the blast. In a well designed blast most of the energy is spent breaking rock and little is wasted in the form of ground vibrations.
