ÇAĞRILI KONUŞMALAR / KEYNOTES Invited Speeches ... - TPJD

The Coalification Process and Use of Biomarker Data in the Determination of
Paleoenvironmental Characteristics; Karapınar Coals (Konya, Turkey)
Orhan Özçelik 1 , Mehmet Altunsoy 1 , Selin Hökerek 1 , Nazan Yalçın Erik 2 , Mehmet Taka 3 ,
Ferhat Acar 4
1 Akdeniz University, Department of Geology Engineering, Antalya
2 Cumhuriyet University, Department of Geology Engineering, Sivas
3 General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration, Ankara
4 Municipality of Antalya, Antalya
The coalification process and depositional environment of the Pliocene Karapınar Coal Deposit
(Konya) in Central Anatolian (Turkey) were investigated by organic geochemical methods. The
coal samples are characterized by the occurrence of C29 steranes in the saturated hydrocarbon
fractions, while the C27 and C28 homologues are present in low quantities (C29>C27>C28). The
dominant hopane in samples are moretane and normoretane. Based on the C28/C29 sterane
ratios, these coals are Tertiary in age, and this conclusion is in full agreement with the geological
age. Differences in diasterane/sterane ratios exist within the coal samples, and these high ratios
show both acidic and oxic-suboxic environments. Relatively high concentrations of C23 tricyclic
terpane in investigated sample extracts indicates terrigenous input. The dominant sterane in
all samples is C29, indicating a terrigenous contribution consistent with the predominant origin
for the organic matter having been from land plants. Also, richness in C27 indicates a lagoonal
environment and algal organic material in that environment; the C28 levels are quite low and
typical of limnic environments. βα-Moretane / αβ-hopane ratios indicate the immatureearly
mature stage and gammaceranes are related to organic matter deposited in high-salinity
depositional environment.
Keywords: Konya, Karapınar Basin, Coal, Organic Geochemistry, Biomarker
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