Element geochemistry of Cherokee Group coals (Middle Pennsylanian) from south-central and southeastern Iowa

Middle Pennsylvanian Cherokee Group coals from south-central and southeastern Iowa are typical high-sulfur, high-ash coals. These coals have an arithmetic mean sulfur content of 5.8 percent and a mean ash content of 15.9 percent. Apparent rank for most samples is high-volatile C bituminous coal. The relatively high contents of sulfur and 23 other elements in Iowa Cherokee Group coals are related to near neutral pH conditions (6-8) in the depositional and early diagenetic environments, and to post-depositional epigenetic sphalerite/calcite/pyrite/ kaolinite/barite mineralization. Changes from an aluminosilicate- to a sulfide-element association for U, Mo, Cr, and V, and an increase in element content for U, Mo, Cr, V, Na, Mg, and K in stratigraphically higher coals are thought to be related to differences in depositional environments of the coal-associated rocks, which change from predominantly terrestrial in the Lower Cherokee Group, to predominantly marine in the upper part of the Upper Cherokee Group. Coals overlain by marine, phosphatic, black shale lithologies have the highest content of U, Mo, Ag, Sb, Se, and V.