Isometamorphic variations in the reflectance and fluorescence of vitrinite - a key to depositional environment

Petrographic investigations of serial ply samples from five high-to medium-volatile bituminous coal seams from Australia (4) and Canada (1) reveal substantial in-seam variations in the reflectance and monochromatic microfluorescence intensities of the maceral subgroup telovitrinite. The variations consist of one case of reflectance enhancement and fluorescence suppression, and four cases of reflectance suppression and fluorescence enhancement. The single case of reflectance enhancement and fluorescence suppression is due to the oxidation of the vitrinite nuclei at the sequence boundary between the Bayswater and Upper Wynn seams in New South Wales. The four cases of reflectance suppression and fluorescence enhancement result from the syn-and epigenetic absorption by the vitrinite nuclei of hydrogen donated by, presumably, anaerobic bacteria-generated lipids. Two of the coals are marine-influenced: the Liskeard Seam from the Bowen Basin by combined syngenetic and epigenetic effects, and the Greta Seam from the Sydney Basin mainly by epigenetic contact with sea water. For both coals, the results are strong vitrinite reflectance suppression and fluorescence enhancement. The remaining two coals, the Bulli Seam from the Sydney Basin and a coal seam from the Gates Formation in British Columbia, show moderate epigenetic effects on the optical properties of telovitrinite by fresh-water. In the Bulli Seam which was studied in two adjacent localities, the reflectance suppression and fluorescence enhancement of telovitrinite are stronger under sandstone roof than under shale roof. In some cases, the epigenetic effects are superimposed on syngenetic telovitrinite reflectance and fluorescence variations resulting from the cogeneration and mixing of different telovitrinite precursors, for example, autochthonous roots and hypautochthonous or allochthonous shoots. A measure of the degree of dispersal and mixing is the coefficient of variation of telovitrinite reflectance and/or fluorescence. This coefficient correlates well with detrital minerals and dispersed macerals, e.g., inertodetrinite and, to a lesser extent, sporinite. Some comments are mode on slitted so-called pseudovitrinite which is regarded as a telovitrinite that was subjected to very weak post-coalification desiccation and possibly oxidation without losing much of its thermoplastic properties. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.