Coal seams of the Walbrzych formation, Intrasudetic Basin, Poland: inferences on changing depositional environment

Abstract

The petrological composition of coal seams of the Walbrzych Fm. was studied, and depositional conditions were reconstructed on the basis of both coal and clastic sediment analysis. Coal of this formation is of medium- to low-volatile bituminous rank; vitrinite reflectance R o max ranges from 0.8 to 2.0% and volatile matter content from 29 to 16%. The coal seams of the Walbrzych Formation contain mainly banded coal; bright and dull lithotypes occur sporadically. The amount of banded and banded dull coals increases towards the top of the formation at the expense of banded bright coal. Consequently, vitrinite and vitrite content tends to decrease upwards. Peat deposition in the lower part of the Walbrzych Formation occurred predominantly in a telmatic forest zone. The mires were located between interdistributary channels on a delta plain, and they were probably ombrotrophic. In the upper part of the Walbrzych Formation, swamps were the primary sites of peat deposition. Abandoned channels were favoured as peat deposition sites for seams where increases in seam thickness are associated with increases in coarse clastic content below seams. Continuous peat deposition in overbank zones is postulated for seams wherein decreases in seam thickness are associated with increases in coarse clastic content. Where no relationship between seam thickness and coarse clastic content beneath the seam exists, the swamp may have encroached into overbank and channel zones rapidly. Changes in the environment of peat deposition may be related to tectonic activity along the basin margins during the Namurian.