Geochemistry of the carboniferous coal-bearing series and the miocene cover within the Upper Silesian Coal Basin – a case study

This paper presents geochemical data for 171 core samples of the Carboniferous coal-bearing series and the Miocene cove from the central part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Major oxide concentrations (Al₂ O₃, SiO₂, Fe₂ O₃, P₂ O₅, K₂ O, MgO, CaO, Na₂ O, K₂ O, MnO, TiO₂, and Cr₂ O₃) were obtained using XRF. Trace and major elements (Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, U, Cr, V, Mn, As, Th, Sr, Cd, Sb, Bi, Ba, Ti, W, Zr, Ce, Nb, Ta, Be Sc) were analysed ICP-MS. The main goals of this study were to demonstrate the distribution, as well as the stratigraphical variability, of the selected elements and to determine whether chemostratigraphy tools could be effectively applied to analyze Carboniferous and Miocene deposits of the USCB. Geochemical studies have shown showed different geochemical features of the samples from the Carboniferous and the Miocene. The diversity is mainly expressed in the enrichment of Miocene sediments in Ca and Sr related to biogenic carbonate material. It was also stated that the concentrations of trace elements associated with the detrital fraction, such as Zn, Cr, Co, Ba, Ti, Zr, Nb, and Sc show slightly higher values in Carboniferous sediments. On the basis of the content of Ti, Zr, and Nb, as well as ratios such as Th/U, Zr/Th, Ti/Zr, and TiO₂ /K₂ O, units with different inputs of the terrigenous fraction can be identified in both Carboniferous and Miocene formations. The paper shows that chemostratigraphy can be used as a stratigraphic and correlation tool for the Carboniferous and the Miocene deposits of the USCB.