Dating of coal fires in Xinjiang, north-west China |
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| Authors: | Xiangmin Zhang Salomon B Kroonenberg Cor B de Boer |
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| Institution: | Department of Earth Resources Surveys, ITC, PO Box 6, Enschede, the Netherlands;;Faculty of Applied Earth Sciences, Delft University of Technology, PO Box 5028, 2600 GA Delft, the Netherlands;;Palaeomagnetic Laboratory, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Utrecht, 3584 CD Utrecht, the Netherlands |
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| Abstract: | Coal fires in China consume vast amounts of fuel and cause serious environmental problems. Most of these coal fires are related to mining activity. However, naturally produced palaeo coal fires in Xinjiang, north‐west China, have been recognized via burnt rocks. The burnt rocks in the study area are found at different river terraces underlying unburnt alluvial and river terrace deposits. Several age groups of coal fires have been identified based on the positions of burnt rocks at river terraces and the relationship between the burnt rocks and the terrace deposits. These palaeo coal fires are: (1) Pliocene – Early Quaternary in age at 200 m above present river terrace deposits; (2) Middle Pleistocene in age, at > 90 m; (3) Late Pleistocene, at 90–70 m; (4) Holocene; (5) burnt rocks relating to active coal fires. Palaeomagnetic data of the burnt rocks from different terraces give normal remanent magnetization and help further to constrain the ages of the coal fires. |
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