| A | B |
|---|
| Lewis and Clark | Two explorers who used lignite to heat their forge in 1804 |
| Cheaper, Safer, More Productive | Three advantages surface mining has over underground mining |
| BTUs | British Thermal Units |
| 31-32 Million Tons | Amount of coal produced yearly in North Dakota |
| Lignite | The kind of coal found in North Dakota |
| Geologist | Person who studies the rock layers of the earth to locate the coal |
| Dragline | Large machine to remove the overburden that lies on top of the coal seam |
| Topsoil and Subsoil | Soil which is rich and good for growing crops |
| Permit | Legal document which allows a company to mine coal |
| Pit | Hole dug by a dragline to uncover a coal seam |
| Scrapers | Machines used to remove and replace topsoil and subsoil at a mining site |
| Spoil Pile | Overburden which has been removed from the pit by the dragline |
| Electricity | Most lignite is used to make this |
| Surface Mining | The mining of coal above ground |
| Garrison Dam | Location of North Dakota's hydropower plant |
| Tipple | Place where coal is crushed when it comes from the mine |
| Synthetic Natural Gas | Product made at the Great Plains Coal Gasification Plant |
| Monument | Mound of soil left in its original state at the mining site to show how much topsoil and subsoil was on the land before removal |
| Kilowatt | Thousant watts of electric power |
| Generator | Machine run by coal-fired steam turbines which makes electricity |
