Genesis of the Warwickshire Thick Coal: a group of long-residence histosols

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Abstract
The Warwickshire Thick Coal is of Westphalian B age, and it developed at the southern margin of the Pennine Basin in central England. It usually consists of three to five leaves of coal which can total up to 8.5 m in thickness. Palynological analysis of the leaves has revealed the presence of four miospore types which occur in similar successions in each leaf. These coals are interpreted as long-residence histosols. Comparable successions have been recognized by other authors and a variety of mechanisms advanced for their formation. The model proposed to account for their origin is change in vegetation due to variations in water table (hydroseral growth), which occur during the development of ombrotrophic bogs similar to those found in the Far East. Many inter-related factors are believed to affect water table variation including climate, topography and raising of the bog surface (the latter controlled by both differential rate of subsidence and accumulation of plant debris). It is probable that the model proposed may be applicable to other coal seams, and this has implications for coal exploration. Estimation of regional rates of subsidence may help in the location of thick long-residence histosols, and examination of miospore cycles within leaves of coal may be useful in predicting the proximity of seam splits.