Modern coastal back-barrier environment: Analog for coal basin or for carbonaceous black shale?

Research Article| April 01, 1988 Modern coastal back-barrier environment: Analog for coal basin or for carbonaceous black shale? J. Richard Jones; J. Richard Jones 1Department of Geology and Planetary Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Barry Cameron Barry Cameron 2Department of Geology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia BOP 1X0, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1988) 16 (4): 345–348. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1988)016<0345:MCBBEA>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation J. Richard Jones, Barry Cameron; Modern coastal back-barrier environment: Analog for coal basin or for carbonaceous black shale?. Geology 1988;; 16 (4): 345–348. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1988)016<0345:MCBBEA>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Coastal back-barrier salt-marsh environments are evaluated as possible modern analogs for some coal-forming basins. Analysis of the amount of organic matter in Holocene salt-marsh peats from 158 core samples at Plum Island, Massachusetts, indicates that the organic matter content is too low to ultimately produce coal. C-14 dates indicate depositional rates of 1 mm/yr. Both the high and low salt-marsh peat facies would probably diagenetically alter to a carbonaceous shale. A review of the organic content reported from other nondeltaic back-barrier and coastal salt-marsh environments indicates that they commonly have too much detrital material to classify as coal precursors. Barrier-island systems, being affected by sea-level changes and subject to landward migrations, also lack long-term stability needed for coal formation. These data suggest that modern back-barrier environments are not good analogs for coal-forming basins. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.