Vitrinite reflectance studies of coals and dispersed organic matter in Tertiary deposits in the Adventdalen area, Svalbard

• Published in: Polar Research
• Main Author: Throndsen, Torbjørn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Norwegian Polar Institute 1982
• Subjects: Adventdalen; Svalbard; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2579; https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v1982i2.7005

Vitrinite reflectance measurements on coals and dispersed organic matter in Tertiary deposits in the Adventdalen area show that there is a continuous rank increase from 'sub-bituminous C (Ro = 0.40) at the top through 950 m to‘high volatile bituminous B’(Ro = 0.70) at the base. Rank of the economically important coal horizon at the base of the Tertiary shows regional variation ranging from 'sub-bituminous B’(Ro = 0.41) to Tiigh volatile bituminous A-B’(Ro = 0.78). It is concluded that 1.0 - 1.5 km of Tertiary deposits were eroded during the postorogene uplift of Svalbard, and the area of greatest sediment accumulation migrated eastwards during deposition.