Comparative studies of Eocene silicified peat and lignite: transition between peat and lignite
Silicified Eocene peats with excellent preserved cellular structures were found in lignite beds in western North Dakota and were comparatively studied. The well preserved plant tissues resemble that of modern Taxodium peat. The most striking difference between silicified peat and lignite is the disappearance of cell cavities when peat is transformed to lignite, a phenomenon caused primarily by compaction rather than cell wall swelling through humification or gelification. The differences between textinite and ulminite can be traced back to the differences between early wood and late wood of the secondary xylem. What appear to be cutinites in lignite are compressed cortex tissues of young plants. Silicified leaf and cortex tissues contain more visible fluorinite exhibiting brilliant fluorescence. Clustering phloem fibers or stone cells give rise to a material resembling resinite but are more akin to huminite A and/or suberinite. They converge to vitrinite when vitrinite reflectance exceeds 0.6%. Alternating banded phloem fibers and phloem parenchyma give rise to alternating layers of huminite A and huminite B. True micrinite does occur in lignite but in limited quantities.
- Research Organization:
- West Virginia Univ., Morgantown (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6135763
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PEAT
COALIFICATION
DIAGENESIS
EOCENE EPOCH
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
LIGNITE
MACERALS
NORTH DAKOTA
SILICA
BROWN COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CENOZOIC ERA
CHALCOGENIDES
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC AGES
MATERIALS
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC MATTER
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
TERTIARY PERIOD
USA
011000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration