Utility of coal seams as genetic stratigraphic sequence boundaries in nonmarine basins: An example from the Gunnedah Basin, Australia: Discussion
- Univ. of Liverpool (United Kingdom)
Coals are sensitive indicators of accommodation potential. Ignoring other factors, the preservation of peat requires a high accommodation potential. The highest accommodation potential occurs during transgression (at the R inflection point on a relative sea level curve). Hence, one would expect that the best-developed coals would occur during transgression at the time of maximum flooding. However, care must be taken in defining thick, laterally extensive seams as representing the period of maximum marine flooding because thick, laterally extensive coals can occur in response to other flooding events. Only by demonstrating the relationship of coal seams to changes in accommodation space can one confidently assign sequence or genetic stratigraphic significance to a seam. Additionally, coal seams cannot readily be defined as genetic stratigraphic sequence boundaries because there is no clear surface that defines the period of maximum flooding. In fully continental successions, however, the occurrence of thick and laterally extensive coals may indicate the location of the genetic stratigraphic sequence boundary.
- OSTI ID:
- 127312
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950995--
- Journal Information:
- AAPG Bulletin, Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 79; ISSN 0149-1423; ISSN AABUD2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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