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Palynology of late Westphalian–early Stephanian coal-bearing deposits in the eastern South Wales Coalfield

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 October 2005

TATIANA KH. DIMITROVA ,
CHRISTOPHER J. CLEAL  and
BARRY A. THOMAS
TATIANA KH. DIMITROVA
Affiliation:
Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Street, Block 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
CHRISTOPHER J. CLEAL
Affiliation:
Department of Biodiversity & Systematic Biology, National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK
BARRY A. THOMAS
Affiliation:
Welsh Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 2EX, UK
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Abstract

Mudstones above coals in the eastern part of the South Wales Coalfield have yielded diverse and well-preserved palynofloras. They indicate that the Llantwit No. 1 and No. 2 seams are Stephanian in age, and thus correlate with the Household Coals Member in the Forest of Dean. Until the formation of the highest coal seam in the succession (No. 1 Llantwit Seam), conditions were progressively becoming wetter, as indicated by an increase in abundance of lycophytes and a decline in the cordaites. However, after the formation of this stratigraphically highest coal, the lycophytes declined significantly, indicating that conditions suddenly became drier, perhaps as a result of uplift of the area as the Variscan Front to the south steadily pressed forward.

Keywords

PalynologypalaeoecologyWestphalianStephanianclimate change
Type
Original Article
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 142 , Issue 6 , November 2005 , pp. 809 - 821
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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