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Durham E-Theses Geochemistry and mineralogy of British carboniferous seatearths from Northern coalelds Reeves, M. J. How to cite: Reeves, M. J. (1971) Geochemistry and mineralogy of British carboniferous seatearths from Northern coalelds, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8650/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 GEOCHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY OP BRITISH CARBONIFEROUS SEATEARTHS PROM NORTHERN COALFIELDS. by : M. J. Reeves B.Sc. Department of Geology- Science Laboratories South Road Durham Submitted for the degree of Ph.D. at the University of Durham, June 1971 I LIST OF CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Aims of the work. 1 1.2 Tectonic and palaeogeographic conditions. 1 1.3 Biological conditions. 4 1.4 Mineralogical evidence of previous workers. 5 1.5 Sampling procedures. 6 Table 1.1 Identification of samples. 9/10 Figure 1.1 Main features of Carboniferous cyclothems, after BENNISON and WRIGHT (1969). 11 1.2 Diagramatic illustration of decrease in .. cyclothemic amplitude through the Carboniferous. 12 1.3a Palaegeographic developments during the Namurian. 13 1.3b Sections showing the development of the Namurian deltas. 14 1.4 Lower Westphalian palaeogeography. 15 1.5 Distribution of Northern Coalfields. 15 1.6 Illustration of the factors complicating correlations in Carboniferous sediments. 16 1.7 Stratigraphic sections 17/18 1.6 References to Chapter one. 19 CHAPTER TWO MINERALOGY 2.1 General remarks. 21 2.2 Carbonate. 22 II PAGE 2.3 Carbonaceous matter. 23 2.4 Quartz. 23 2.5 Clay minerals. 23 2.51 Chlorite. 24 2.52-Kaolinite. 26 2.53 Illite. 28 2.6 Heavy minerals. 31 Table 2.1 Quantiative mineralogical analyses of 14 roof rocks. 33 2.2 Quantitative mineralogical analyses of 42 seatearths. 34 2.3 Comparison of powder patterns for chlorites. 35 2.4 Expansions of interlayer mineral when subjected to various treatments. 36 2.5 Classification of illites in roof rocks. 37 2.6 Classification of illites in seatearths. 38 Figure 2,1 Diagramatic representation of X.R.D. dia• grams for kaolinites, after MUURAT and LYONS (1956). 39 2.2 Variations in basal reflections in minerals termed illite. 40 2.3 Differential thermal curve of interlayered mineral. 41 2.7 References to Chapter two. 42 Ill PAGE CHAPTER THREE CHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL VARIATION WITHIN SEATEARTHS 3.1 Distribution of minerals in seatearths. 44 3.2 Distribution of chemical components in seatearths. 45 3.3 Relationship between chemistry and mineralogy in seatearths. 47 3.4 Comparison with previous data on seatearths. 51 3.5 R-mode factor analysis of seatearths. 53 3.6 Stratigraphical variation in seatearths. 62 Table 3.1 Summary statistics for mineral frequency distributions. 64 3.2 Summary statistics for major components frequency distributions. 65 3.3 Summary statistics for trace element frequency distributions. 66 3.4 Correlations between "independent" variables in the stepwise multiple regression analy• sis. 67 3.5 Summary of stepwise multiple regression procedure. 68/69/70 3.6 Comparison of the average seatearth from the present study with previous work. 71 3.7 Analytical data for 42 seatearths. 72/73/74 ^ P UM rrairxtra 1 lioa ov|"K»op+of| -f*-r»r»rn aoo f OOT» + 1I correlation matrix. 75 3.9 Interfactor correlations for promax oblique matrix kmin=6. 76 3 IV PAGE Figure 3.1 Mineral frequency distribution histograms for 4-2 Upper Carboniferous seatearths. 3.1a Chlorite, illite, kaolinite. 77 3.1b Total clay, carbonaceous matter. 78 3.1c Quartz, siderite. 79 3.2 Major element frequency distribution histograms for 42 Upper Carboniferous seatearths. 3.2a Silica, titania, alumina. 80 3.2b Ferric oxide, magnesia, lime. 81 3.2c Potash, soda, sulphur. 82 3.2d Phosphorus pentoxide, carbon. 83 + 3.2e H20 , H20~, carbon dioxide. 84 3.3 Trace element frequency distribution histograms for 42 Upper Carboniferous seatearths. 3.3a Barium, Chromium, Copper. 85 3.3b Lanthanum, Manganese, Nickel. 86 3.3c Niobium, Lead. 87 3.3d Rubidium, Scandium, Strontium. 88 3.3e Vanadium, Yttrium. 89 3.3f Zinc, Zirconium. 90 3.4 Variation in seatearth mineralogy. 91 3.5 Restricted variation of major components in seatearths. 92 3.6 Variations of factor loadings on rotation of factor axes. 93 V PAGE Figure 3.7 Summary of factors for kmin=6 promax oblique solution. 94 3.8 Factor scores for factor 2 v weathering potential index of REICHE (1943). 95 3.9 Variations of factor scores for factor 4 with stratigraphy. 96 3.10 Variation of factor scores for factor 6 with stratigraphy. 97 3.11 Factor scores for factor 8 v Fe205 + MgO. 98 3.12 Variation of factor scores for factor 2 with stratigraphy. 99 3.7 References to Chapter three. 100 CHAPTER FOUR VARIATIONS WITHIN ROOF ROCKS 4.1 General remarks. 102 4.2 Mineralogical variation. 103 4.3 Variations in major element geochemistry. 103 4.4 Trace element geochemistry. 111 Table 4.1 Mineralogical analyses of 14 roof rocks compared with 10 cyclothemic sediments after NICHOLLS and LORING (1962). 120 4.2 Major element analyses of 28 roof rocks.121/l22 4.3 Major element correlation coefficient matrix based on logarithmic transformed analytical data for 28 roof rocks. 123 VI PAGE Table 4.4 Eigenvalues extracted from roof rock correlation matrix. 124 4.5 Varimax orthogonal factor matrix and communalities. 125 4.6 Promax oblique factor matix for kmin=3. 126 4.7 Interfactor correlations for promax oblique factor matrix. 127 4.8 Summary statistics for 15 chemical components in 28 roof rocks. 128 4.9 Factor scores for 28 roof rocks computed for the factor matrix given in Table 4.6. 129 4.10 Comparison of average cyclothemic sediments with the average composition of 28 roof rocks. 130/131 4.11 Varimax factor matrix and communalities 132 4.12 Correlations between promax factors kmin=5 for factor analysis of 49 Visean sediments for 25 chemical variables. 133 Figure 4.1 Six factors extracted from 28 roof rocks for 15 variables. 134 4.2 Illite contents for 14 roof rocks v factor scores for factor 4. 135 4.3 Siderite content for 14 roof rocks v factor scores for factor 5. 136 4.4 Quartz content for 14 roof rocks v factor scores for factor 6. 137 VII PAGE Figure 4.5 Total clay content for 14 roof rocks v factor scores for factor 6. 138 4.6 Variation of factor loadings on rotation of factor axes. 139 4.5 References to Chapter four. 140 CHAPTER FIVE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SEATEARTHS AND ROOF ROCKS 5.1 Introduction. 142 5.2 Mineralogical differences between seatearths and roof rocks. 143 5.21 Quartz. 143 5.22 Carbonaceous matter. 145 5.23 Carbonate (siderite). 145 5.24 Clay minerals. 147 5.3 Chemical differences between seatearths and roof rocks. 151 5.31 Chemical components related to quartz distribution.151 5.31 Chemical components related to diagenetic minerals. 154 5.33 Chemical components related to clay minerals. 156 Table 5.1 Mineralogical analyses of detailed sections,161 5.2 Comparison of average mineralogical data for seatearths and roof rocks. 162 5.3 Composition of clay mineral fractions for seatearths and roof rocks. 163 VIII PAGE Table 5.4 Major element analyses of the Upper Little Limestone, Top Busty, and Brockwell sections. 164/165 5.5 Trace element data for the Upper Little Limestone and Top Busty sections. 166 5.6 Alkali and alkaline earth elements : alumina ratios for the Upper little Limestone and Top Busty sections. 167 5.7 Alkali and alkaline earth elements : potassium ratios for the Upper Little Limestone and Top Busty sections. 168 Figure 5.1 Grain size distribution for some seatearths and roof rocks. 169 5.2 Ti02 v total clay for detailed sections. 170 5.3 AlgO^ v total clay for detailed sections. 171 5.4 MgO v chlorite for detailed sections. 171 5.4 References to Chapter five. 172 CHAPTER SIX SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 6.1 Summary of palaeogeographical, biological, and palaeoclimatic conditions. 175 6.2 Summary of qualitative mineralogical evidence. 175 6.3 Summary of quantiative mineralogical and chemical variations within seatearths. 176 6.4 Summary of quantitative mineralogical and chemical variation within roof rocks. 177 IX PAGE 6.5 Summary of mineralogical and chemical differences between seatearths and roof rocks. 177 6.6 Origin and genesis of seatearths. 178 6.7 Stratigraphical variations in seatearths and their implications for Upper Carboniferous sedimentation.181 6.8 Economic applications. 182 6.9 References to Chapter six. 184 APPENDIX I ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES 1.1 Mineralogical analysis. A1 1.11 Differential thermal analysis. A1 1.12 X-ray diffraction analysis. A6 1.2 Chemical analysis. A9 1.21 Gravimetry. A9 1.22 Flame photometry.. A10 1.23 X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. A10 Table A1.1 Standard minerals. A22 A1.2 Composition of standard mixture. A23 A1.3 Differential thermal analysis clibration data.