Early Diagenetic Calcareous Coal Balls and Roof Shale Concretions from the Pennsylvanian (Allegheny Series)

Author Institution: Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Ohio State UniversityThe calcareous concretions studied formed in different depositional environments associated with the Pennsylvanian eyclothems of cast central Ohio. The late syngenetic to early diagenetie coal balls from Lower Frecport Coal in Jefferson County were formed by cellular permineralization of decaying terrestrial plants in a peat swamp. These coal balls, composed of N9.N% calcite, 7.0% pyrite, and 2.(3% organic material, preserve six identifiable plant genera, Sphenophyllum, Stigmaria, Medulosae, Taxospermum, Psaronius, and Myeloxylon, as well as fusain and spores. The early diagnetic nodules from roof shale overlying Middle Kittanning Coal in Tuscarawas County, Ohio were formed by authigenic cementation of marine muds that contained brachiopods, including Mesolobus, Lingula, and several productid species, bryozoan fronds, ostracodes, gastropods, crinoids, cephalopods, as well as coprolites, terrestrially-derived fusain, root casts, and megaspore coats. These nodules, composed of 84.5% calcite, 11.3% illite, 1.5% quartz, 0.9% pyrite, and 0.5% organic material, have calcite-filled septarian fissures