Coalfield structure and structural controls on coal in China

The occurrence of coal-bearing strata in a variety of coal-bearing basins of China is characterized by late tectonic deformation and remarkable spatial and geochronologic differences.The main controlling factors,which determine the tectonic framework of coalfields,include the geodynamic environment,tectonic evolution,deep structures,tectonic stress,and lithologic combination of the coal measures.The Chinese continent has experienced multi-stage tectonic movements since the Late Paleozoic.The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of its continental tectonic evolution,the complexity of its basement properties,and its stratigraphic configurations control the tectonic framework of its coalfields’present complex and orderly patterns.The concept of coal occurrence structural units is proposed in this paper and is defined as the structural zoning of coal occurrence.China’s coalfields are divided into five coal occurrence structural areas,and the structural characteristics of the coalfields in five main coal occurrence areas throughout the country are summarized.Based on the analysis of the relationship between the structure characteristics and occurrence of coal in these coalfields,the coal-controlling structures are divided into six groups:extensional structural styles,compressional structural styles,shearing and rotational structural styles,inverted structural styles,sliding structural styles,and syn-depositional structural styles.In addition,the distribution of coal-controlling structural styles is briefly summarized in this paper.

Analysis on Structural Control of Coal Distribution in the Northern Qaidam Basin,NW China

The distribution of the Jurassic coal measures in the northern Qaidam Basin is obviously controlled by the regional structures. Based on the existing data of coalfield exploration and combined with the analysis of coalfield basement structures, features of the main faults, and the distribution of coal measures, this paper brings forward a scheme of coalfield tectonic divisional units and the definition of the coal-controlling structural styles in the northern Qaidam Basin. The structure control of the distribution of coal measures is further discussed. Several stages of regional tectonic activities since the Indosinian has led to the distribution of coal measures into the characteristics of zonation from the north to south and block from east to west. The results indicate that the structural deformations are the most intense in the front of the three uplifted belts, which are characterized by the combination of thrusts. The coal measures are uplifted to the shallow formations, and are easy to be exploited, but the scale of mines is small because of serious damages by the coal distribution. On the contrary, the stress and strain are weak in the three depressions, with the coal-controlling structural styles being mainly the thrust-fold and thrust-monocline combinations. The distribution of coals in the depressions is relatively stable. The shallower part of the depression will become the key areas for exploration and development of coal resources in the northern Qaidam Basin.