What is the term for the rock and soil that lies above the coal seam?

• A. Overburden
• B. Subsoil
• C. Bedrock
• D. Topsoil

Answer: (A)

Overburden is the rock and soil that lies above the coal seam. In surface mining, this material must be removed to expose the coal, and it’s typically handled as spoil during mining and reclamation. While overburden can include the topsoil layer, the standard term for all material covering the seam is overburden. Subsoil refers to a deeper soil layer beneath the topsoil, bedrock is the solid rock beneath all soil layers, so those terms describe parts of the cover rather than the entire covering above the coal.