Geochemical, petrographic and palynologic characteristics of two late middle Pennsylvanian (Asturian) coal-to-shale sequences in the eastern Interior Basin, USA

Both of the coals are overlain by black, very organic-rich (avg. TOC ± 20%) marine shales. The Turner Mine Shale, which directly overlies the Springfield coal, has layers at the coal/shale contact with fairly abundant vitrinite, primarily in the form of vitrodetrinite, near the base of the shale, but the majority of the shale is dominated by the liptinite macerals bituminite, lamalginite and amorphinite. Micrinite is a major organic component of the shale. The Anna Shale, which directly overlies the Herrin coal, is similar in overall maceral composition, but contains less vitrinite, and more solid bitumen and micrinite. Trace element ratios (Ni/Co, V/Cr, V/V + Ni), indicative of paleoredox conditions, indicate that both shales were deposited under mainly dysoxic to suboxic/anoxic conditions. The shales are interpreted to represent a progressively rising water table, caused by an increase in eustatic sea levels. Vitrinite reflectance values in the shales are lower than corresponding values measured from the coal, indicating some degree of vitrinite suppression occurring in the Turner Mine and Anna Shales.