Coal Petrologic Investigation of Tropical Peat Deposits

这项研究的目的是研究加勒比海地区几个不同的湿热带泥炭矿床的岩石学和孢粉学特征、表面形成过程和早期煤化作用(泥炭化)。这些数据将与之前从温带环境产生的数据进行比较，例如佐治亚州的奥克弗诺基沼泽和南卡罗来纳州的温馨沼泽。选择了三个热带矿床进行研究：1)哥斯达黎加的Moin矿床；2)巴拿马的Changuinola矿床；3)波多黎各的阿雷西博矿床。尽管所有这些都是在相同的一般环境中发现的，但每一种都表现出与其他环境的一个或多个显著差异，之所以被选中，是因为预计它将产生新的基本信息，用来解释和预测文献中报告的许多形成于热带海岸线相关环境中的古煤的成分和几何形状。这项研究将采用的方法包括：1)pH、盐度和其他表面条件的现场测量；2)泥炭序列的现场描述；3)地表凋落物和地表样本的收集；4)定向活塞芯的收集；5)来自显微镜薄片的透射式、反射式和荧光显微镜；6)地表和地下样品的低温灰化和X射线分析，结合放射性碳测年，解释矿床的古生态和发展史。

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.