Drmno lignite field (Kostolac basin, Serbia): Origin and palaeoenvironmental implications from petrological and organic geochemical studies

• Main Authors: Stojanović Ksenija, Životić Dragana, Šajnović Aleksandra, Cvetković Olga, Nytoft Peter Hans, Scheeder Georg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Chemical Society 2012-01-01
• Series: Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society
• Subjects: lignites; Kostolac Basin; organic matter; macerals; biomarkers; palaeoenvironment
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0352-5139/2012/0352-51391200017S.pdf

The objective of the study was to determine the origin and to reconstruct the geological evolution of lignites from the Drmno field (Kostolac Basin, Serbia). For this purpose petrological and organic geochemical analyses were used. Coal from the Drmno field is typical humic coal. Peat-forming vegetation dominated by decay of resistant gymnosperm (coniferous) plants, followed by prokaryotic organisms and angiosperms. Coal forming plants belonged to the gymnosperm families Taxodiaceae, Podocarpaceae, Cupressaceae, Araucariaceae, Phyllocladaceae and Pinaceae. Peatification was performed in neutral to slightly acidic, fresh water environment. Considering that organic matter of Drmno lignites was deposited at the same time, in the relatively constant climate, it could be supposed that climate probably had only small impact on peatification. Therefore, variations in compositions of macerals and biomarkers indicate changes in the water level, due to seasonal drying of the mire, which caused vegetation differences in the palaeoplant communities and changes of redox conditions (from anoxic to slightly oxic) during peatification. Diagenetic transformations of the organic matter were mainly governed by microbial activity, rather than thermal alteration.