Peat swamps at Giral lignite field of Barmer basin, Rajasthan, Western India: understanding the evolution through petrological modelling

The lignite samples collected from Giral lignite field of Barmer basin have been subjected to petrological investigation. The data generated has been discussed to understand the evolution of the paleomires of these lignites. The present study reveals that these low rank C coals are chiefly composed of huminite group macerals, mainly telohuminite and detrohuminite, while liptinite and inertinite group macerals occur in subordinate amounts. Not much variation in the maceral composition from Seam-I to Seam-VIII has been observed. Barmer lignites are characterized by a very high GI (>10) and moderate TPI indicating topogenous mire in the basin which was permanently flooded. The GI and TPI values and the petrography-based facies critical models indicate that these lignites originated mostly under wet forest swamp to clastic marsh having telmatic to limno-telmatic conditions with a moderate rate of subsidence and a very slow fall in ground water table. Further, the GWI and VI values are suggestive of mesotrophic to rheotrophic hydrological conditions having the dominance of herbaceous to marginal aquatic vegetation. There were spells of periodic drowning of peat especially during the formation of Seam-VII. Moderately high concentration of calcium in these lignites along with the presence of framboidal pyrite indicate enhanced sulphate-reducing bacterial activity present in carbonate and sulphate-rich waters in the basin during peat formation.