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State Symbols

The official state symbols represent the cultural heritage and natural treasures of each state or the entire United States

Utah Symbols

Utah State Rock

Coal

Adopted on March 13, 1991.

Utah Legislature
63-13-5.5. State symbols.
(22) Utah's state rock is coal.

Coal was officially recognized as the State Rock on 13 March 1991. It was proposed by Representative Mike Dmitrich of Price as a result of a school project in Carbon County.

Coal originates as plant matter that accumulates up in wetlands and bogs. Coal begins to form when anaerobic bacteria break down plant material and convert it to peat through the removal of oxygen and hydrogen. The peat is then buried by sediment and more plant material, raising the temperature and pressure of the peat. As the peat compresses, water and methane gas are forced out, leaving an increasing proportion of carbon. With increasing heat and pressure the peat is converted successively into lignite, subbituminous coal, bituminous coal, and anthracite. Most of the coal mined in Utah is bituminous.

Coal is a black or brown rock that can be ignited and burned to produce heat energy. Coal-burning power plants supply about half of the electricity used in the United States. Utah has eighteen recognized coal fields (in as many counties); they contain an estimated 39 billion tons of coal.

Coal is used during the coking process in steel production, and is burned in power plants to produce heat and electricity. Nearly all of Utah's coal must be obtained from underground mines. The Book Cliffs, Wasatch Plateau and Kaiparowits coal fields are the three most important in the state. Most Utah coal is of bituminous rank (soft coal) and relatively high in potential heat productions (BTUs). Coal is found in 17 of Utah's 29 counties, but coal mining is primarily concentrated in Emery and Carbon Counties. Coal production in Utah during 1994 is estimated at 24 million
tons.

Coal is found in 17 of Utah's 29 counties but mainly concentrated in Emery and Carbon Counties.

Difference

Minerals: Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic elements or compounds that have an ordered internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties. For example, quartz is a mineral as is copper.

Rocks: Minerals combine to form rocks like granite, basalt, and sandstone. Rocks can also be composed of solid organic matter, coal is an example.

Gems: Gems are especially fine ("gem quality") mineral specimens that have few flaws in their internal structure and exhibit superior color. These high-quality minerals are typically cut and used in jewelry.

State Symbols

State symbols represent things that are special to a particular state.

symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun

Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century

1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.