TY - JOUR
T1 - Petrology of the River Gem coal bed, Whitley County, Kentucky
AU - Hower, James C.
AU - Pollock, James D.
PY - 1989/5
Y1 - 1989/5
N2 - The River Gem coal bed (Middle Pennsylvanian Breathitt Formation) in the Hollyhill 7 1 2 minute quadrangle, Whitley County, Kentucky, consists of a low- to moderate-sulfur lower bench; followed by a high-ash, high-sulfur bone; and capped by a high-ash, high-sulfur upper bench. Variations in the amount of total sulfur and pyritic sulfur as well as variations in the pyrite size and form point to the degree of syngenetic and epigenetic control on the pyrite emplacement. The pyrite types, particularly in the high-sulfur upper benches, are dominated by <10 μm fine forms. One of the fine forms, described as "specular" pyrite, is distinct from the framboidal and euhedral forms. "Specular" pyrite occurs as noncontiguous, submicron grains in corpocollinite within a clarite to carbargillite microlithotype and is particularly abundant in the bone lithotype. Epigenetic massive pyrite occurs as overgrowths of clusters of framboidal and euhedral pyrite as well as encasement of the cluster overgrowths. Split coal at one site and the apparent nondeposition of the upper bench at another site indicate that subsidence rates were variable at the time of deposition.
AB - The River Gem coal bed (Middle Pennsylvanian Breathitt Formation) in the Hollyhill 7 1 2 minute quadrangle, Whitley County, Kentucky, consists of a low- to moderate-sulfur lower bench; followed by a high-ash, high-sulfur bone; and capped by a high-ash, high-sulfur upper bench. Variations in the amount of total sulfur and pyritic sulfur as well as variations in the pyrite size and form point to the degree of syngenetic and epigenetic control on the pyrite emplacement. The pyrite types, particularly in the high-sulfur upper benches, are dominated by <10 μm fine forms. One of the fine forms, described as "specular" pyrite, is distinct from the framboidal and euhedral forms. "Specular" pyrite occurs as noncontiguous, submicron grains in corpocollinite within a clarite to carbargillite microlithotype and is particularly abundant in the bone lithotype. Epigenetic massive pyrite occurs as overgrowths of clusters of framboidal and euhedral pyrite as well as encasement of the cluster overgrowths. Split coal at one site and the apparent nondeposition of the upper bench at another site indicate that subsidence rates were variable at the time of deposition.
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U2 - 10.1016/0166-5162(89)90116-X
DO - 10.1016/0166-5162(89)90116-X
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0024475808
SN - 0166-5162
VL - 11
SP - 227
EP - 245
JO - International Journal of Coal Geology
JF - International Journal of Coal Geology
IS - 3-4
ER -