Petrology and geochemistry of the Middle Pennsylvanian(Langsettian)Clintwood coalbed,Pike County,Kentucky
James C.Hower
Cortland F.Eble
Shelley D.Hopps
Tonya D.Morgan
Vivian A.Edwards
Abstract：The Middle Pennsylvanian, Langsettian sub-stage Clintwood coal, along with its correlatives, was one of the more important energy resources in eastern Kentucky. The coal thickens from the NE-SW-trending Belfry anticline in central Pike County to the southeast, towards the Virginia-Kentucky border. Much of the thickness increase is in the bright lithotypes below a dull lithology. The bright lithologies transition from a bright clarain+vitrain+fusain lithology to a clarain+fusain lithology to the southeast. Half of the lithotypes in the three analyzed sections exceed 1000-μg/g Rare earth elements+Y+Sc (REYSc) (ash basis). The LaN/SmN vs. GdN/YbN and LaN/SmN vs. CeN/CeN* plots suggest that the top lithotype may have had best indication of an oxidizing environment. Positive GdN/GdN* and EuN/EuN* in some of the lithologies suggests that there may have been a hydrothermal influence in the sediment sources and/or in the diagenesis of the coal. Consideration of LaN/SmN and Zr (μg/g; ash basis), Zr vs. Sr, and V/Cr vs. inertinite/(inertinite+vitrinite) indicates that the dull lithotypes existed in a distinct geochemical environment compared to the brighter lithotypes. The isolation of the dull lithotypes from the bright lithotypes is supported by principal components analysis on inertinite/(inertinite+vitrinite), LaN/SmN, V/Cr, Sr, and either Zr or Ln(100(TiO2)/Al2O3).
Keywords：Depositional environmentsLanthanidesCritical elementsLithiumStrontium
Publication Date：2025-04-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-10-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：21( 87-107 )