Abstract
THE study of variations in coal rank is important to coal geologists and the coal industry, and a proper understanding of the coalification process is also important to oil exploration geologists. The rank of coals, which occur as thin seams or lenses in oilfield sediments, can be regarded as an indicator for the degree of maturation of the organic matter (kerogen), finely dispersed in the sediments. Coal and kerogen are somewhat similar in chemical composition, and so are controlled by the same physical and chemical factors. If tectonic pressure can be shown to advance coalification, then it follows that a higher maturation of kerogen can be expected near a fault zone.
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SHIBAOKA, M., BENNETT, A. Effect of depth of burial and tectonic activity on coalification. Nature 259, 385–386 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/259385a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/259385a0
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