Lateral and vertical variability in petrography and mineralogy of the Lower Kittanning seam, western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio
A total of 50 channel samples and 70 subsection samples were collected. Several trends in maceral composition were observed: (1) telocollinite (well-preserved woody tissue) increases towards the center of the basin, whereas desmocollinite (highly-degraded vitrinite) increases towards the basin margins; (2) total vitrinite decreases, whereas total liptinite and inertinite both increase, towards the top of the seam; (3) desmocollinite increases, at the expense of telocollinite, towards the top of the seam. These trends are explained by differential preservation of plant material, which is influenced by the pH/Eh of waters within the peat swamp and by the rate of subsidence. Lateral trends in organic composition relate to pH conditions within the swamp and proximity to source areas: (1) syngenetic pyrite formation occurred in areas overlain by brackish shales (where both sulfate and iron were available), whereas marcasite formed epigenetically; (2) quartz content increases towards a northern source area; (3) kaolinite is predominantly authigenic and increases towards the basin margins due to its stability in relatively low pH, freshwater areas of the peat swamp; (4) detrital illite/mica (high-temperature polytype) increases towards the center of the basin due to its greater stability in marine-influenced environments. Low expandable clay contents are consistent with the level of metamorphism experienced by this coal. The distribution of Cr, Cu, Ni, Rb, and Sr can be explained by their association with clay minerals. Zr distribution reflects an influx of detrital zircon. The distribution of Be and V can be explained by their original entrapment by the organic fraction of the peat or coal as they entered the basin.
- Research Organization:
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7179054
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COAL
PETROGRAPHY
COAL DEPOSITS
GEOCHEMISTRY
MINERALOGY
OHIO
PEAT
PENNSYLVANIA
BERYLLIUM
CHROMIUM
COPPER
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
ILLITE
KAOLINITE
MACERALS
MARCASITE
METAMORPHISM
MICA
NICKEL
PYRITE
QUARTZ
RUBIDIUM
STRONTIUM
VANADIUM
WETLANDS
ZIRCONIUM
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM SILICATES
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMISTRY
CLAYS
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION III
FEDERAL REGION V
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
MATERIALS
METALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC MATTER
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
SILICATE MINERALS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
011000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
010600 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition