Palynomorphs of Permian Gondwana coal from borehole GDH-38, Barapukuria Coal Basin, Bangladesh

A paleo-bioclimatological study on gondwana coal deposits in northwestern Bangladesh and the associated environment reflected by pollen and geochemical analysis

“…The major Flora of the Gondwana coals in Bangladesh was coniferous gymnosperms, and the Flora closely matched that of other Gondwana assemblages globally (e.g., India, South Africa, South America, Russia, Australia, and Antarctica (Akhtar and Kosanke, 2000). Glossopteris Flora plant fossils discovered in Gondwana rocks give compelling evidence for ecological and climatic circumstances (Anderson et al, 1999).…”

Environmental Impacts of Coal-Mining and Coal-Fired Power-Plant Activities in a Developing Country with Global Context

“…These basins are formed within the Precambrian basement complex during Permo-carboniferous time (355-270 million years ago). Permian Coal Basins (except Jamalganj) occur in one of several north-north-west to south-south-east (NNW-SSE) extended intra-tectonic basins in Rangpur saddle which was formed when the Indian subcontinent was joined to Africa, Madagascar, Australia, and Antarctica as part of Gondwana during Permian times (Alam 1989;Akhtar and Kosanke 2000;Roy and Roser 2013). Northern Bangladesh basement has a slope of 1 -2 towards NNW and SSE direction from the Rangpur area and the slope suddenly increased beyond south of Bogra, which formed NE-SW trending hinge zone (continental shelf break).…”

“…Previously several studies on the coals from five coal basins in terms of their palynological (Akhtar and Kosanke 2000), petrological, geological, sedimentological (Hossain et al 2014Bostick et al 1991;Islam et al 1992;Bakr et al 1996;Islam 1998;Imam et al 2002;Farhaduzzaman et al 2012;Farhaduzzaman et al 2013a, b;Islam and Hayashi 2008;Uddin et al 2016), radiological, thermal and geochemical properties (Habib et al 2019a;Islam et al 2011;Haider et al 2011;Podder et al 2004) applying HPGe gamma spectrometry, EDXRF, PIXE, LIBS, and INAA techniques and CCRs characteristics and its potential uses (Howladar and Islam 2016) have been carried out. Besides, several studies on Barapukuria soils suggested that it was intensively contaminated with trace elements released from the coal matrix owing to the coal mining activities (Hossain et al 2015Zakir et al 2013Zakir et al , 2017Zakir and Arafat 2020;Bhuiyan et al 2010b, b;Halim et al 2015, Halim et al 2013) employing EDXRF and AAS techniques for environmental studies.…”

“…The BTPP has been operated since 2005 while a third unit with 275 MW capacity has been started since 2017. Bangladesh has five potential coalfields having reserve of about 3.33 billion tons (Bt) of highly volatile bituminous B ranked Permian Gondwana coal (except, Jamalganj coal basin) (Hossain et al , 2020Bakr et al 1996;HCU 2018;Islam 2002;Akhtar and Kosanke 2000;Norman 1992;Bostick et al 1991). However, the coal mine in Barapukuria (reserve: 377Mt) is the only active commercially operational coal basin, so far (Islam and Khan 2017;Farhaduzzaman 2013;Farhaduzzaman et al 2012;Islam 2008Islam , 2009Islam and Hayashi 2008).…”