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Steaming Coal

Hi Angus the Rockhound here,

I’ve been sniffing around some coal recently (hence my lovely black nose) and thought I’d tell you about the coal we have in stock which is classified as steaming coal and comes  from the Clermont mine in Central Queensland.

Steaming coal is a high grade of bituminous coal but not as highly graded as anthracite (the highest grade of coal). Steaming coal was traditionally used for powering steam engines and locomotives due to it’s superior thermal output. The bituminous coal grade also includes thermal coal which is mainly used in energy production today and is the bulk of production at Clermont. You may have also heard the term ‘coking coal’ which is also a sub-category of bituminous coal and is lower in sulphur and phosphorous and used in steel production.

This specimen is an example of Permian coal, is dense, black (not brown) and displays typical bands of bright and dull material.

Think I’ll go find a steam train to hang my head out of, that sounds like good fun for a hound!

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About Us

Woof! I’m Angus, I’m a Bull Arab cross and I’m your Rockhound. I love playing
with my frisbee, chasing the hose and sniffing out good rocks to carry around
and leave on the verandah.

Mum and Dad have decided to make me earn my keep, so now I’m sniffing out rocks
without faults to help make teaching Earth Science easier for teachers and more
interesting for students.

My mum, Deb, has worked in Queensland Schools since 1999. She’s tired of seeing
teachers deliver fantastic lessons in Earth Science full of volcanoes and
earthquakes and folding and landslides only to have to put a pebble ‘specimen’
on the desk in front of a kid and expect them to get excited about geology. Our
geology samples are big – big enough for me to wrap my mouth around.

My dad, Jaimie, knows enough geology to help me find some great specimens and is
really good with a geology pick and hammer. In the past he’s used geology and
soil science to help him with his ecology projects with CSIRO and Queensland
Primary Industries.

So keep an eye on us here, sign up for the Houndz Release newsletter and sniff
us out on Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter. We’ll help you build your geology
lessons layer by layer starting with a bedrock of classroom samples worth using
and adding images, prac ideas and teaching resources. And feel free to have a howl
to us on the Contact Us page any time you like.

See you round the ridges,

Angus

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Rocks and Landscapes series of books now available

We are very proud to be able to announce that we are now able to supply the complete Rocks and Landscapes series of books published by the Geological Society of Australia Queensland Division.  The series have recently been updated and these are the most recent editions.

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As a geology student the Rocks and Landscapes of the Sunshine Coast and Rocks and Landscapes of Brisbane and Ipswich were invaluable in helping me complete my assignments.

We will also have available the National Parks rocks and landscapes series which are useful and interesting for school trips, field excursions or camping holidays.

Look out for them in the shop very soon.  They’ve officially got the Angus Seal of Approval.

See you round the ridges,

Deb