In this video, after briefly discussing the geologic era in which Kentucky's high-sulfur coal formed, a geologist demonstrates how high-sulfur coal causes acid mine drainage. When high-sulfur coal is added to distilled water, the sulfate salts on its surface dissolve into the water and cause the water to become much more acidic. The geologist also explains that the pH scale is a logarithmic scale, which means that the acidity of a liquid increases exponentially as its pH measurement decreases.

This resource is part of the Water Solutions collection.

This video is available in both English and Spanish audio, along with corresponding closed captions.