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Full-Text Articles in Earth Sciences

Classification Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal. Ii. Insights From Organic Geochemical And Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge Jan 1999

Classification Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal. Ii. Insights From Organic Geochemical And Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Petrographic and megascopic criteria have traditionally been used as the basis for the classification of torbanite and cannel coal. For this study, it was hypothesized that modern analytical organic geochemical and multivariate statistical techniques could provide an alternative approach. Towards this end, the demineralized residues of 14 torbanite (rich in Botryococcus-related alginite) and cannel (essentially, rich in organic groundmass and/or sporinite) coal samples were analyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Cluster analysis performed on the Py-GC/MS data clearly distinguished the torbanite from the cannel coal, demonstrating a consistency between the chemical properties and the petrographic composition. All the torbanite …


Classification Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal. I. Insights From Petrographic Analysis Of Density Fractions., Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge, John C. Crelling, David F. Bensley Jan 1999

Classification Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal. I. Insights From Petrographic Analysis Of Density Fractions., Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge, John C. Crelling, David F. Bensley

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Torbanite and cannel coal are considered to be coals because of their low mineral content and overall physical morphology. However, the texture and composition of the organic matter in torbanite and cannel coal are similar to the kerogen occurring in oil shales and lacustrine source rocks. Therefore, understanding the nature and origin of organic components in torbanite and cannel coal is of significance in the study of kerogen and petroleum formation. In this research, a set of torbanites and cannel coals from different locations throughout the world were petrographically characterized and processed using a density gradient centrifugation (DGC) technique. Microscopically, …


Chemistry Of Maceral And Groundmass Density Fractions Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge Jan 1999

Chemistry Of Maceral And Groundmass Density Fractions Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Microscopically, torbanite and cannel coal are composed of coarser macerals set in a fine-grained to amorphous groundmass. It is often assumed that the amorphous groundmass is genetically related to the distinct macerals. The separation of macerals and groundmass from 14 late Paleozoic torbanite, cannel, and humic coals permits the analysis of individual constituents using elemental analysis and flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Cluster and principal component analyses of the Py-GC/MS data further reveal the chemical similarities and differences between the various constituents. Pyrolyzates of Botryococcus-related alginites are characterized by an abundance of normal alkadienes, alkenes, and alkanes. Even their …


A Geomorphology Of Megaliths: Neolithic Landscapes In The Alto Alentejo, Portugal, Gregory A. Pope, Vera C. Miranda Jan 1999

A Geomorphology Of Megaliths: Neolithic Landscapes In The Alto Alentejo, Portugal, Gregory A. Pope, Vera C. Miranda

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Alentejo region of Portugal is known for a high concentration of Neolithic-aged megalithic monuments: tombs (dolmens or antas) and ceremonial features such as standing stones (menhirs) and stone circles (cromleques). Concentrations of these monuments tend to be found on or near weathered granite terrains. Unloading slabs and remnant corestones appear to be the stones of preference for megalith makers in the Alentejo district of Portugal. Some of the stones may have been imported from distant sources, but most appear to be of local origin. In general, most stones do not appear to have been altered much from their original …


A Biogeochemical Comparison Of Fossil (Carboniferous) And Modern Crustose Red Algae, Michael A. Kruge, John E. Utgaard, William Ferry Jan 1999

A Biogeochemical Comparison Of Fossil (Carboniferous) And Modern Crustose Red Algae, Michael A. Kruge, John E. Utgaard, William Ferry

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The nature of the contribution of the various types of algae to sedimentary organic matter continues to be a topic of research interest. Crustose red algae have however received less attention than other types. The fossil calcareous red algae (Rhodophyta) analyzed in this study are two relatively unrecrystallized specimens of Parachaetetes (Family Solenoporacea) from the lower part of the Ste. Genevieve Formation (Carboniferous, Visean) in Union County, Illinois, USA. They occurred in the patch reef phase of a small carbonate mudmound-patchreef. The three modern specimens (collected and identified by F. Collier) are the crustose algae Lithothamnion, Clathromorphum and Phymatolithon …


Molecular Organic Geochemistry Of New York Bight Sediments. Sources Of Biogenic Organic Matter And Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Michael A. Kruge Jan 1999

Molecular Organic Geochemistry Of New York Bight Sediments. Sources Of Biogenic Organic Matter And Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

As part of a multidisciplinary evaluation of the environmental impact of waste disposal in the New York Bight, a preliminary effort was undertaken to assess the molecular geochemistry of its sedimentary organic matter (OM). For this initial phase of the study, samples were taken from two New York Bight cores collected outside the area of known dumping [in Sandy Hook Bay, NJ], to establish the environmental context for future work on sediments from within dumpsite zones. The method employed was flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), which is an organic microanalysis technique suitable for solid samples, in this case dried, raw …