The relationship of paleontology, palaeobotany and coal thickness of Taiyuan Formation, Late Carboniferous – Early Permian in Shanxi Province

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find the relationship of palaeontology, palaeobotany and coal thickness of Taiyuan Formation during Late Carboniferous – Early Permian Period in Shanxi Province.Design/methodology/approachThis paper selects three regions, namely, Baode, Xishan and Lingchuan, to analyse the distribution characteristics of palaeontology, palaeobotany and variation of coal thickness.FindingsIt was found that in a certain period of geological history, palaeontology and palaeobotany play a dominant role in shaping of a coal-bearing basin. Coal seam thickness changes largely from the northwest to the southeast, gradually thinning in Taiyuan Formation.Originality/valuePalaeontology and palaeobotany play a dominant role in the shaping of a coal-bearing basin.