Coal metamorphism by igneous intrusion in the Raton Basin, CO and NM: Implications for generation of volatiles

Cooper, Jennifer; Crelling, John C.; Rimmer, Susan M.; Whittington, A. G.

doi:10.1016/j.coal.2006.05.007

Cited by 116 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Alternatively, intrusion of basalt sills into coal may have resulted in devolatilization of the coal at depth and incorporation of those volatiles into erupting basalt, leaving behind natural coke (21)(22)(23). For this scenario, a larger coal bed is needed and can be calculated based on coke production data.…”

Section: Coal-basalt Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The hot mixture of basalt and coal is buoyant with respect common sedimentary rocks and will tend to ascend. The typical thermal conductivity for coal (0.33 W m −1 K −1 ) (32) is well below the conductivities of common sedimentary and basaltic rocks, trapping heat (22) and further favoring its ascent with entrained domains of weakly heated coal. The transport process to the surface can be considered analogous to basaltic fire fountains or the explosive escape of chloride-rich fluids (13).…”

Section: Coal-basalt Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This network allows sills to intrude multiple thick coal beds or to jump between them. Field evidence in the Raton basin shows mafic sills will preferentially intrude even thin coal beds (22).…”

Section: Coal-basalt Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Explosive eruption of coal and basalt and the end-Permian mass extinction

Ogden

Sleep²

2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The end-Permian extinction decimated up to 95% of carbonate shell-bearing marine species and 80% of land animals. Isotopic excursions, dissolution of shallow marine carbonates, and the demise of carbonate shell-bearing organisms suggest global warming and ocean acidification. The temporal association of the extinction with the Siberia flood basalts at approximately 250 Ma is well known, and recent evidence suggests these flood basalts may have mobilized carbon in thick deposits of organic-rich sediments. Large isotopic excursions recorded in this period are potentially explained by rapid venting of coal-derived methane, which has primarily been attributed to metamorphism of coal by basaltic intrusion. However, recently discovered contemporaneous deposits of fly ash in northern Canada suggest large-scale combustion of coal as an additional mechanism for rapid release of carbon. This massive coal combustion may have resulted from explosive interaction with basalt sills of the Siberian Traps. Here we present physical analysis of explosive eruption of coal and basalt, demonstrating that it is a viable mechanism for global extinction. We describe and constrain the physics of this process including necessary magnitudes of basaltic intrusion, mixing and mobilization of coal and basalt, ascent to the surface, explosive combustion, and the atmospheric rise necessary for global distribution.R ecent studies have brought the Great Dying at the end of the Permian Period into focus. Up to 95% of shell-bearing marine species and 80% of land animals perished (1, 2). The temporal association of the extinction with the Siberia flood basalts at approximately 250 Ma is well known (1-7), but a causal mechanism connecting the flood basalts to global extinction is not evident. The flows directly killed only those biota in their path, and basalt is not a massive source of greenhouse gases such as CO 2 (8). Recent studies suggest flood basalts may have mobilized carbon in thick deposits of organic-rich sediments, resulting in global climate change and extinction (4,5,7,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). New work also suggests magmatic release of CO 2 from mantle-derived eclogite as a potential extinction mechanism (14). Svensen et al. (15) were the first to discuss the mechanism by which basaltic interaction with organic sediments may cause mass extinction through explosive release of methane. McElwain et al. (16) expanded on this idea by linking the intrusion of KarooFerrar magmas into coal with the 183 Ma Toarcian oceanic anoxic event. In this model, basaltic intrusions metamorphosed sediments driving off hydrocarbons, including methane, which quickly oxidized to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water. This sudden release of organic carbon acidified the ocean and caused a ∂ 13 C excursion in the sedimentary record.Retallack and Jahren (5) applied a similar idea linking basaltic intrusion of coal seams in Siberia to the late Permian extinction. Their study focused on this mechanism as an explanation for the large, short-term carbon isotopic excursions ...

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Section: Coal-basalt Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Coal-basalt Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Explosive eruption of coal and basalt and the end-Permian mass extinction

Ogden

Sleep²

2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Cooper, 2006;Ledevin, 2010;Ledevin et al, 2012). If these sediments are rich in organic matter, large volumes of carbon dioxide and/or methane could be released during contact metamorphism (Cooper, 2006;Cooper et al, 2007). Since the source of the volatile carbon is organic material, which is enriched in 12 C relative to 13 C, large-scale release of isotopically light carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system could explain both the observed increase in global surface temperature during the PETM as well as the CIE. Svensen et al ( , 2010 provide evidence supporting this hypothesis.…”

Section: Magma-sediment Interactionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A magmatic trigger for the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum?

Dubin¹

2015

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Fifty-six million years ago Earth experienced rapid global warming (~6°C) that was caused by the release of large amounts of carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system. This Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is often cited as an analogue of anthropogenic climate change. Many trigger mechanisms for the carbon release at the PETM have been proposed. Common to all scenarios is rapid release of isotopically light carbon (< 13 C/ 12 C values) from methane hydrates, terrestrial or marine organic matter, as indicated by a pronounced excursion to light carbon isotope values across the PETM. I test the hypothesis that the PETM warming and isotope excursion were caused by the intrusion of a magmatic sill complex into organic-rich sediments in the North Atlantic. The intrusion of magma into sedimentary rocks will cause heating and metamorphic reactions in a thermal aureole around the intrusion. If these sediments are rich in organic matter, large volumes of isotopically light carbon are rapidly released. I examine geochemical evidence from lead, osmium, and organic carbon to place constraints on the extent the carbon isotope excursion during the PETM may have been caused by contact metamorphism of organic-rich sediments. Potential terrestrial and submarine analogs are examined to determine the behavior of these elements during thermal alteration. Furthermore, geochemical evidence from sediment cores at the PETM provides additional information about what might have caused the carbon isotope excursion. I find that lead is not a suitable proxy for carbon mobilization to the overlying seawater during contact metamorphism. Osmium, however, is mobilized together with carbon. Making reasonable assumptions for the 187 Os/ 188 Os of the sediments from the North Atlantic Magmatic Province (NAMP), constrained by the 187 Re/ 188 Os of organic-rich sediments and the depositional age of the sediment, the entire marine osmium isotope anomaly at the PETM could be explained without the need to invoke enhanced continental weathering. Based on estimates of the extent of mobilization of organic carbon relative to osmium, approximately 47% to 60% of the carbon released at the PETM may have been derived from thermal alteration of organic-rich sediments in the NAMP.

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“…Numerous examples are known from the US, China, Gondwana coalfields, and elsewhere (Barker et al, 1998;Cooper et al, 2007;Crelling and Dutcher, 1968;Dai and Ren, 2007;Dai et al, 2012a,c;Dapples, 1939;de Oliveira and Cawthorn, 1999;Finkleman et al, 1998;Ghose and Mukherjee, 1966;Ghosh, 1967;Han et al, 1996;Hickock and Moyer, 1940;Kisch, 1966;Lyell, 1847;Mastalerz et al, 2009;Querol et al, 2001;Rimmer et al, 2009;Schapiro and Gray, 1966;Schimmelmann et al, 2009;Schopf and Long, 1966;Stewart et al, 2005;Taylor, 1835;Wilkes, 1988;Yang and Han, 1979;Yang et al, 1996).…”

Section: Alginite Sometimes Bituminitementioning

confidence: 99%