Petrographic Composition and Paleoenvironment of the Amynteo Lignite Deposit, Northern Greece

Maceral analyses along with proximate and elemental analyses were undertaken in order to determine the features of the Amynteo coal deposit and its depositional environment. The Amynteo coal has an eu-ulminite B reflectance of Rr = 0.21%, and in terms of lithotype belongs to matrix lignite. Huminite is the most abundant maceral group, consisting mostly of detrohuminite. Inertinite has relatively low percentages whereas liptinite concentrations are rather high. A ternary plot was applied as an indication of the depositional paleoenvironment. The results from the majority of the samples indicate origin in a topogenous setting. The peat accumulation was governed by a high groundwater level (wet telmatic to limno-telmatic facies). The depositional environment can be characterized as a reed-marsh environment, with occasional establishment of forest swamps.