A while ago I reviewed a book on coal. Recently I saw it on my book shelf and thought it might be interesting to put that review up on the Cipher blog. Below is a slightly abridged version of the original review. Enjoy. I knew something was up when upon entering the shop the friend […]
A Fish Story
NEW PAPER: Resources and Geology of Coalbed Methane in China: A Review
China is a big place. The resources are large. The scale of everything is outsized. And as has been well documented, its up and coming middle class is energy depended. Commendably, the Chinese government has prioritized renewable energy and it seems they are well on the way to leading the world. Still, conventional energy is […]
Field Work in the Senakin Peninsula: Part I – Tanjung Dewa Revisited
It was an early morning start and the topical air of South Kalimantan (Borneo) already hung heavy and thick. We boarded the wooden powerboat that was more than just a little tippy. It held a party of six, which consisted of colleagues Joan Esterle, Sonny Pangestu, Hermes Panggabean plus Pak Juwady, our pilot, and a […]
Colombia: Sustainable Mining Initiatives
Playing the variance lute
It was Ron Stanton (U.S. Geological Survey) who instilled in me the importance of proper representative sampling and John C. Ferm (University of Kentucky)* who drove home the concept of variability. In understanding the character of coal beds, these two concepts should mess seamlessly together. Or so you’d think … As it turns out there […]
NEW PAPER: Chemical Structure in Tectonically Deformed Coal
To most people, a rock is hard, static and immoveable. But like most things in life, that is all relative. Take a drive through almost any mountain range and you’ll see rocks that have been twisted and folded, contorted and pressed. These dynamic scenes are almost always composed of rocks rich in minerals (think sandstones, […]
Vinegar, Noodles and Alice in the Triassic
The Groom, the Mine, His Wife and Her Lake
It was springtime in Xuzhou and the flowers were blossoming. Although not a small city by any measure – other than in China – the 8.5 million people seem a quieter type than elsewhere. Populated by parks, wide streets and relatively low buildings, the overall feeling one gets of Xuzhou is balance, politeness and a […]