Organic geochemistry and organic petrography
The Vermillion Creek coals and shales contain dominantly humic organic matter originating from woody plant tissues except for one shale unit above the coals, which contains hydrogen-rich kerogen that is mostly remains of filamentous algae, of likely lacustrine origin. The coals have two unusual features - very low inertinite content and high sulfur content compared to mined western coals. However, neither of these features points to the limnic setting reported for the Vermillion Creek sequence. The vitrinite reflectance of Vermillion Creek shales is markedly lower than that of the coals and is inversely proportional to the H/C ratio of the shales. Rock-Eval pyrolysis results, analyses of H, C, and N, petrographic observations, isotope composition of organic carbon, and amounts and compositions of the CHCl/sub 3/-extractable organic matter all suggest mixtures of two types of organic matter in the Vermillion Creek coals and clay shales: (1) isotopically heavy, hydrogen-deficient, terrestrial organic matter, as was found in the coals, and (2) isotopically light, hydrogen-rich organic matter similar to that found in one of the clay-shale samples. The different compositions of the Vermillion Creek coal, the unnamed Williams Fork Formation coals, and coals from the Middle Pennsylvanian Marmaton and Cherokee Groups are apparently caused by differences in original plant composition, alteration of organic matter related to different pH conditions of the peat swamps, and slightly different organic maturation levels.
- OSTI ID:
- 5261663
- Journal Information:
- U.S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States), Journal Name: U.S. Geol. Surv., Prof. Pap.; (United States) Vol. 75:1314-H; ISSN XGPPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
010600* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Properties & Composition
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
CARBON
CARBON 13
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COAL
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL SEAMS
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROGEN
INERTINITE
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MACERALS
MATERIALS
MATURATION
MINERAL RESOURCES
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC MATTER
PEAT
PETROGRAPHY
PH VALUE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUANTITY RATIO
REFLECTIVITY
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SULFUR CONTENT
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SWAMPS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
USA
VITRINITE
WASATCH FORMATION
WETLANDS
WYOMING