| Themes > Science > Earth Sciences > Geology > Coal > About Coal, Generalities > Stratigraphic, Palaeoclimatic and Economic Significance of Coal Seam Splits |
Coals typically form in depositional environments that are sensitive to changes in base-level, such as coastal mires and delta top settings. While the stratigraphic expressions of changes in base-level are well documented for clastic depositional systems there is less agreement on their effects upon peat forming environments. It is also unclear whether all peat forming environments respond in similar ways e.g. will tropical raised mires with artificially high water tables respond to falling sea-level (therefore water table) in the same way as high latitude temperate swamps? To address these issues it is proposed to study a number of coal-bearing stratigraphic intervals that occur in contrasting tectonic/climatic systems where the sequence stratigraphy is already well understood. The key issues to be addressed are: 1) the stratal, petrological and geochemical expressions of base-level change within the coal seam; 2) the significance of laterally extensive coal seam splits and, 3) the exact timing of coal formation with respect to delta progradation and subsequent flooding. The results have implications for the prediction of coal split distribution and for improved application of coal seam data to understand stratal architecture. |
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