Bob Schwartz

In Part 1 of this post, I transcribed a conversation with me, Coyote and AI about mountaintops disappearing. AI had a long explanation of this phenomenon.

Reviewing the conversation, I read that AI had said this:

“So in summary – distance, weather, sunlight and pollution can all contribute to an optical illusion where mountain peaks seem to blend into their surroundings and temporarily “disappear” under certain viewing conditions. Their disappearance is usually not literal.”

At first, I was shocked. AI seemed to be saying that sometimes, unusually, mountaintops actually do disappear. Then I realized that, of course, there are circumstances where this does happen. Volcanoes do blow off the tops of mountains. So do coal companies. I asked AI about this.

AI:

“Yes, coal companies do sometimes remove or “blast off” the tops of mountains as part of mountaintop removal mining operations. Here are a few key points about this practice:
• Mountaintop removal mining involves removing vegetation on a mountain ridge and then explosively removing the top of the mountain to expose underlying coal seams. This is done with heavy machinery and explosives.
• Blasting off mountaintops allows mining companies to access multiple coal seams that were previously buried deep within the mountain. It’s more economically efficient than underground mining.
• However, it has significant environmental impacts like destroying habitats, increasing erosion and sedimentation in streams, and reducing biodiversity. Entire ecosystems on mountaintops are removed.
• The blasted debris and rock is typically dumped into nearby valleys and waterways, further damaging the landscape and water quality. Reclamation of mined sites is difficult.
• Mountaintop removal mining is controversial and has faced legal challenges from environmental groups concerned about its widespread damage. Some areas have imposed restrictions on it.
• As of 2010, an estimated 500 mountains had been leveled in Appalachia by this practice to extract coal over several decades. The technique remains in use today at some surface mining sites.
So in summary – yes, removing or “blasting off” the tops of mountains is a real mining technique some coal companies employ as part of mountaintop removal operations to access coal deposits. It has significant environmental consequences.”

In the case of my waking up to see the mountaintops gone, which turned out to be low-hanging clouds, those instances don’t apply. These mountains are not volcanic and there are no coal companies operating here. If a volcano had erupted or a coal company had blasted the tops off, it would have been obvious and have woken me up even earlier. Clouds are much better.

© 2023 by Bob Schwartz