Coal Petrologic Investigation of Tropical Peat Deposits

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The purpose of this research is to investigate the petrographic and palynologic characteristics, surficial processes of formation, and early stages of coalification (peatification) of several contrasting wet-tropical, peat deposits in the Caribbean region. This data will be compared and contrasted with data generated previously from temperate settings, such as the Okefenokee Swamp of Georgia, and Snuggedy Swamp of South Carolina. Three tropical deposits have been selected for study: 1) the Moin Deposit of Costa Rica; 2) the Changuinola Deposit of Panama; and 3) the Arecibo Deposit of Puerto Rico. Although all of these are found in the same general type of setting, each exhibits one or more significant differences from the others and was selected because it is expected to yield new and essential information with which to interpret and predict the composition and geometry of the many ancients coals that have been reported in the literature to have formed in tropical shoreline-related settings. Methodology to be employed in this study will include: 1) field measurements of pH, salinity and other surface conditions; 2) field descriptions of peat sequences; 3) collection of surface litter and surface samples; 4) collection of oriented piston cores; 5) transmitted, reflected, and fluorescent light microscopy from microtome thin sections; 6) low temperature ashing and x-ray analysis of surface and subsurface samples combined with radiocarbon dating, for interpreting the paleoecological and developmental history of the deposits.