Coal-Bearing Depositional Systems [Paperback]

1 Introduction.- 2 The Conditions of Peat Formation.- 2.1 Peatland Ecology.- 2.1.1 Coastal Marshes and Swamps.- 2.1.1.1 The Marine Influence on Peat Accumulation.- 2.1.1.2 The Influence of Marine Transgressions and Regressions.- 2.1.2 Fresh-Water Peatlands.- 2.1.2.1 Upper Delta and Alluvial Plain Swamps, Marshes and Bogs.- 2.1.2.2 Limnic Environments.- 2.2 Peat Composition and Peat-Forming Plants.- 2.3 Climate and Peat Accretion.- 2.4 Evolutionary Trends in Peat and Coal Formation.- 3 The Coalification Process.- 3.1 Biochemical Coalification.- 3.1.1 The Vitrinitisation Path.- 3.1.2 The Fusinitisation Path.- 3.1.3 Plant-Specific Coal Components.- 3.2 Physico-Chemical Coalification.- 3.2.1 The Concept of Coal Rank.- 3.2.1.1 Solubility in Alkali Hydroxides.- 3.2.1.2 Moisture Content and Specific Energy.- 3.2.1.3 Volatile Matter and Fixed Carbon.- 3.2.1.4 Elemental Carbon.- 3.2.1.5 Vitrinite Reflectance and Other Physical Rank Parameters.- 3.2.2 The Effects of Pressure, Temperature and Time.- 4 Coal Petrographic Entities.- 4.1 Macerals.- 4.1.1 The Huminite/Vitrinite Group.- 4.1.1.1 The Humotelinite/Telovitrinite Subgroup.- 4.1.1.2 The Humodetrinite/Detrovitrinite Subgroup.- 4.1.1.3 The Humocollinite/Gelovitrinite Subgroup.- 4.1.2 The Inertinite Group.- 4.1.2.1 The Telo-Inertinite Subgroup.- 4.1.2.2 The Detro-Inertinite Subgroup.- 4.1.2.3 The Gelo-Inertinite Subgroup.- 4.1.3 The Liptinite Group.- 4.1.3.1 Primary Liptinites.- 4.1.3.2 Secondary Liptinites.- 4.1.4 Maceral Analysis.- 4.2 Microlithotypes.- 4.2.1 Microlithotype Analyses.- 4.2.2 The Relationship Between Microlithotypes and Macerals.- 4.3 Lithotypes.- 4.3.1 Lithotype Analysis.- 4.3.2 The Relationship Between Lithotypes, Macerals and Microlithotypes.- 4.4 Minerals.- 4.4.1 Phytogenic Minerals.- 4.4.2 Adventitious Minerals.- 4.4.2.1 Silicate Minerals.- 4.4.2.2 Silica Minerals.- 4.4.2.3 Carbonate Minerals.- 4.4.2.4 Phosphate Minerals.- 4.4.2.5 Sulphide Minerals.- 4.4.3 Mineral Analysis.- 5 Coal Facies and Depositionls4