The majority of petrographic models which purport to reconstruct the
original peat-forming environments of coal deposits, have been empirically
formulated using data from either Palaeozoic or Mesozoic coals. They do
not allow for floral evolution, climatic change or the concept of provincialism.
A petrological study has been undertaken on the Tertiary Souris Lignite
in order to determine the sequence of depositional phases involved in the
development of the ancestral mire. This data will then be used to determine
whether peat-forming models based on Palaeozoic and Mesozoic coals can
be realistically applied to (or modified for) Tertiary coals.
Preliminary work based on microlithotype composition and the application
of existing depositional models, has indicated the presence of three depositional
phases occurring within the Souris Lignite. The three phases identified
represent: 1) stable peat accumulation; 2) terrestrialisation; 3) fluctuating
water-levels.
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