Limnic condition in ombrotrophic peat type as the origin of Muara Wahau coal, Kutei basin, Indonesia

Samples of early Miocene Muara Wahau coal from three drill cores were investigated with respect to maceral composition. Huminite macerals are dominant in the coal, ranging from 73.3 to 88.0% (vol.) with an average value of 77.4% (vol.). Liptinite macerals account for lower amount, from 0.7 to 6.7 with an average value of 1.8% (vol.). Inertinite macerals vary from 4.3 to 34.0% (vol.), averaging at 15.3% (vol.). Some paleoenvironmental indices based on the maceral composition were determined. Groundwater index (GWI) and vegetation index (VI) were considered as indicators for hydrological regime and type of peat vegetation. Tissue preservation index (TPI) and gelification index (GI) were determined to indicate the degree of preservation and relative wetness of the peat forming conditions. The VI-GWI diagram suggest that the coal was developed from herbaceous plants in ombrotrophic type of peat. TPI-GI diagram shows that the preservation was low and the peat was relatively wet or limnic. However, ombrotrophic peat type have commonly been related to relatively drier or telmatic environments. It is therefore, interpreted that the limnic condition could occur in ombrotrophic peat type, as the water level was rising up during the development of a high moor peat.