Sulfide minerals in Seelyville Coal III, Chinook Mine, Indiana

Abstract

Sulfide minerals in coal bed III at the Chinook Mine, Indiana, are pyrite, marcasite, and rarely sphalerite. Pyrite occurs as framboids concentrated mainly in exinite, as bands or lenses in vitrinite and clay partings, as cell fillings in fusinite, and in cleats. Marcasite normally occurs in association with clusters of pyrite framboids within micro-organic remains. Sphalerite occurs exclusively in fusinite associated with cleat pyrite. The iron sulfides, which are of authigenic origin, were formed during the biochemical stage of coalification during the accumulation and compaction of peat. The factor that limited their formation in such an environment was the availability and reactivity of iron. Chemical heterogeneity in the peat swamps where the sulfides formed existed even on a microscopic scale. The iron sulfides were commonly precipitated in localized micro-environments that were favorable for their formation. The metamorphic stage of coalification did not affect the iron sulfides significantly, although it may have been responsible for the recrystallization of pyrite framboids and minor deformation of pyrite in fusinite and its local mobilisation.