Spatial and temporal variation in coal fire emissions: Examples from two eastern Kentucky coal fires

Organic gases were collected at the Truman Shepherd and Lotts Creek coal fires, both developed in high volatile A bituminous coals, several times over the course of five to six months. Carbon dioxide and CO, exceeding 102,800 ppmv and 11,000 ppmv, respectively, at two of the vents studied, dominate the gas chemistry. Methane, ethane, and propane dominate the aliphatic gases and benzene dominates the aromatic gases. The aliphatic gases, exclusive of the latter three gases vary between vents and between months at both sites, with the Lotts Creek vents exhibiting a greater variation. At both fires, there was a tendency for decrease in methane/(methane + ethane + propane + butane) and an increase in benzene/(Σ BTEX [benzene + toluene + ethylbenzene + xylene]) across the sampling times.