Developments of Coal Measures Sequence Stratigraphy in China

Key words: 
• coal measures

Abstract: Sequence stratigraphy provides a new clue for the coal geologists to understand coal accumulation mechanism. After two decades studies in coal measures sequence stratigraphy, coal geologists realize that cyclicity in coal measures is closely related to the global sea level changes, and that industrial coals in geological history were mainly accumulated during a baselevel (sea level) rise. New coal accumulation models based on sequence stratigraphy theory were put forward by Chinese coal geologists, including episodic coal accumulation, transgressive process coal accumulation, event coal accumulation, and coal accumulation during a lag time of marine limestone beds. In the mean time, distribution model of thick coal seams in a sequence stratigraphic framework is outlined based on the balance between the peat accumulation rate and the accommodation creation rate. Future studies of coal measures sequence stratigraphy will focus on the sequence stratigraphic pattern of different tectonic coal basins, prediction of highquality coal distribution with sequence stratigraphy model, and the significance and implications of coals in the longterm evolution of Earth. Chinese coal geologists will put more efforts on the sequence stratigraphic pattern and coal accumulating model for the five coal accumulating provinces and will use sequence stratigraphy theory to find more highquality coal resources.