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Palynology of late Westphalian–early Stephanian coal-bearing deposits in the eastern South Wales Coalfield

TATIANA KH. DIMITROVA^*, CHRISTOPHER J. CLEAL^, and BARRY A. THOMAS

^* Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Street, Block 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
Department of Biodiversity & Systematic Biology, National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK
Welsh Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 2EX, UK

Author for correspondence: chris.cleal{at}nmgw.ac.uk

Mudstones above coals in the eastern part of the South Wales Coalfield have yielded diverse and well-preserved palynofloras. They indicate that the Llantwit No. 1 and No. 2 seams are Stephanian in age, and thus correlate with the Household Coals Member in the Forest of Dean. Until the formation of the highest coal seam in the succession (No. 1 Llantwit Seam), conditions were progressively becoming wetter, as indicated by an increase in abundance of lycophytes and a decline in the cordaites. However, after the formation of this stratigraphically highest coal, the lycophytes declined significantly, indicating that conditions suddenly became drier, perhaps as a result of uplift of the area as the Variscan Front to the south steadily pressed forward.

Key Words: Palynology • palaeoecology • Westphalian • Stephanian • climate change

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. OPLUSTIL and C. J. CLEAL A comparative analysis of some Late Carboniferous basins of Variscan Europe Geological Magazine, May 1, 2007; 144(3): 417 - 448. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. J. CLEAL The Westphalian Stephanian macrofloral record from the South Wales Coalfield, UK Geological Magazine, May 1, 2007; 144(3): 465 - 486. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. KH. DIMITROVA and C. J. CLEAL Palynological evidence for late Westphalian early Stephanian vegetation change in the Dobrudzha Coalfield, NE Bulgaria Geological Magazine, May 1, 2007; 144(3): 513 - 524. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]