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195
ABSTRACT
The Brunner Coal Measures (Buller Coalfield, New Zealand) comprise a fluviatile sequence of Eocene age that is
generally 30-100 m thick. The sequence rests on basement and is dominated by coarse to granular-very coarse sandstone.
The measures contain one mineable coal seam (the Buller Seam Member) that is laterally extensive and up to 20 m thick. It
is characterized by simple splitting with a thin upper split, a thick lower split and a split separation of up to 30-50 m.
Locally, the Buller Seam Member exhibits splitting to form numerous thin seams. Areas of shale-out comprise thin linear
belts between areas of thick coal with a low ash yield.
The coincidence of faults and maximum thickness of seam isopachs indicates that the thickness and splitting characteristics of the Buller Seam Member were largely controlled by syn-depositional faulting and tilting of small half-graben blocks.
Thickness variation in basal sequences is primarily due to syn-depositional faulting. Syn-depositional tilting of fault blocks
also influenced the migration of river channels and hence the stacking and distribution of sandstone and locally thick
mudstone units overlying coal.
1. Introduction
T h e r e have b e e n relatively few s t u d i e s t h a t
have s o u g h t to e v a l u a t e t h e i n f l u e n c e o f syn-dep o s i t i o n a l faults o n clastic a r c h i t e c t u r e in sedim e n t a r y basins, a n d in p a r t i c u l a r t h o s e t h a t a r e
coal-bearing. General models based on modern
e n v i r o n m e n t s (e.g. A l e x a n d e r a n d L e e d e r , 1987;
L e e d e r a n d G a w t h o r p e , 1987) a n d s t u d i e s o f ancient s e q u e n c e s (e.g. L i n k a n d O s b o r n e , 1978;
H a m b l i n a n d Rust, 1989) have d w e l t o n a single
( h a l f - g r a b e n ) fault o r several m a j o r faults, with
active s c a r p s c o n t r o l l i n g facies d i s t r i b u t i o n in seq u e n c e s u p to several t h o u s a n d s o f m e t r e s thick.
S t u d i e s o f m o d e r n rivers (e.g. I ~ e d e r a n d
A l e x a n d e r , 1987) have also n o t e d t h e t e n d e n c y
for rivers to m i g r a t e to sites o f m a x i m u m subsid e n c e . This s t u d y is p r i m a r i l y c o n c e r n e d with t h e
i n f l u e n c e o f relatively n u m e r o u s a n d closely
s p a c e d small-scale faults w i t h o u t s c a r p s on t h e
a r c h i t e c t u r e o f a thin c o a l - b e a r i n g s e q u e n c e in an
e x t e n s i o n a l setting p r i o r to t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a
major half-graben.
S y n - d e p o s i t i o n a l tilting o f h a l f - g r a b e n fault
blocks is p o t e n t i a l l y a m a j o r c o n t r o l on thickness
v a r i a t i o n a n d s e a m splitting in c o a l - b e a r i n g seq u e n c e s a n d in p a r t i c u l a r t h o s e t h a t overly o r a r e
in close p r o x i m i t y to b a s e m e n t . T h e m a i n c r i t e r i a
for t h e r e c o g n i t i o n o f s y n - d e p o s i t i o n a l faults a r e
facies a n d thickness c h a n g e s across faults, rollover
a n d a s s o c i a t e d g r a v i t y - i n d u c e d d e f o r m a t i o n structures, l i q u e f a c t i o n a n d d e w a t e r i n g s t r u c t u r e s a n d
h y d r o p l a s t i c s l i c k e n s i d e s ( L e e d e r , 1987; P e t i t a n d
Laville, 1987; F i e l d i n g a n d J o h n s o n , 1987; O r d et
al., 1988). I f t h e r e a r e sufficient closely s p a c e d
t h i c k n e s s d a t a a n d g o o d s t r a t i g r a p h i c control, it
m a y b e p o s s i b l e to r e a s o n a b l y infer s y n - d e p o s i tional faulting f r o m t h e similarity in t r e n d s o f
196
D.G. T I T H E R I D G E
BULLER
.)
tas=a
Coalfield
/,s,=o/
NEW
ZEALAND
-., = - -
una=ai=iI. i=e=ivy,
GreymouthP
d,
Fi s 3 4
----:
U~:!-:
:".::(~:;.:(:'~" :,::!:::~
"
__=
Mt Augustus i~7":'-.~:~.:" ~ @
, .
r/"
waimanga ca
V~O.~:~':. - . ~~- ~: - ~ _= :
~:~:"7
= ~i?: ~:/-:-"
Westport
i!;:i.:::::..~:
: ---_- -=_
:"
_~=__
:>'> =
:"....
:,:,:,: predominantly Brunner Coal
..i::, Measures and Millerton Sandstone
.=~"
0
Lkm
Fig. 1. Location and lithostratigraphic map, Buller Coalfield (after Bowen, 1964). The section X - Y is illustrated in Fig. 2, and the
section A - A ' and B - B ' in Figs. 6 and 7. The box illustrates the locations of Figs. 3 and 4.
197
The North Westland region, between and including the Greymouth and Buller Coalfields, is
characterized by the prevalence of faults with a
north-northeast trend (Nathan, 1975, 1978a, b;
Laird, 1988). Early to mid-Tertiary subsidence
due to normal faulting throughout the Paparoa
Tectonic Zone, was followed by uplift during the
Miocene. Eversion of the Paparoa Trough was
often accompanied by reverse movement along
pre-existing faults (Laird, 1988). In the Greymouth and Buller Coalfields, the areas of highest
coal rank (and deepest burial in the Paparoa
Trough) are approximately coincident with the
crest of the Paparoa and Papahaua Ranges (Suggate, 1959; Laird, 1968).
The structure of the Buller Coalfield is domi-
198
D.G. TITHERIDGIZ
nated by a broad gently arched northeast trending anticline ("Denniston Anticline"; Fig. 2) and
north to northeast and northwest trending fault
systems (Fig. 3). It is flanked to the west by an
escarpment-forming monoclinal fold and fault
system (Papahaua O v e r f o l d - K o n g a h u Fault)
which separates the elevated Papahaua Range
from a narrow coastal plain (Fig. 2).
For a considerable part of its length, the axis
of the Denniston Anticline is coincident with the
crest of the Papahaua Range and encompasses
the peaks of Mt Rochfort (1040 m), Mt Augustus
(1010 m) and Mt Frederick (1106 m). North of Mt
Augustus (Fig. 3), it plunges at about 10 and the
flanks generally dip at about 5-15 .
The strike of faults in the Buller Coalfield is
dominantly north-northeast or northwest. Some
faults with a northerly strike also occur (Fig. 3).
North-northeast striking faults are either normal
or reverse faults and have the largest throws. The
most prominent of these, the Mt William Fault, is
at least 10 km long. It has a throw of about 300 m
in the vicinity of Mt William that diminishes to
Kongahu
Fault
less than 50 m at its northern end. Other northeast-trending faults of several kilometres length
include the Kiwi Fault (northern part, base of
Fig. 3) which is normal and has a throw of about
100 m.
The most prominent northwest-striking faults
are the Millerton and Mangatini Faults. They are
several kilometres in length and both have throws
of up to 50 m. Numerous other northwest-trending faults of lesser throw (up to 10 m) have been
recorded in the northern part of the coalfield.
Some offset north-northeast trending faults and
have a sinistral strike-slip component of up to
several hundred metres (GR 165455, Fig. 3). The
fault trends illustrated in Fig. 3 have been detected during field mapping of lithostratigraphic
units, mining and from aerial photographs. The
Brunner Coal Measures are characterized by
prominent sets of joints, mainly with strikes of
west-northwest and north-northeast (Bishop,
1992b). West-northwest jointing is interpreted as
a response to regional shortening during Neogene uplift of the Papahaua Range. Regional
Denniston Anticline
Rockies
~
//
"
"
! VI
l - - ~v
~A~/A
~' )
^ ~'-~
/'..1"
/~
~_
Papahaua Range
_
~ : . ~ y ~ ^ ' ~ ^
^ '~ ^ '" ~,*/^ A / ^
~\^ ^
~"
" \
4km
i
~/f~
I
Ta.sman
Metres A.S.L.)
looo
"-----__ J ' S t o c k t o n
/Mt.
~"
"
"
6o0
2oo
~
".~--~
"-"~
Ooo
Upper Tertiary
Kaiata Formation containing local Torea
Breccia Member
Bri~lnr~er
n CsOaa/dM?oanSUresand
Basement
Fig. 2. Cross-section of the Buller Coalfield. The section is based on Laird and Hope (1968) and Applied Geology Associates
(1984). The location of section X - Y is illustrated in Fig. 1.
199
T H I C K N E S S V A R I A T I O N A N D SEAM S P L I T T I N G IN T H E B R U N N E R C O A L M E A S U R E S
1;
I
14
i
15
i
16
i
17
i
18
i
19
52
/
0
|
Millerton Fault
lkm
!
51
50
Trig
AH~
Z-,<
49-
48-
Mt Augustus ~"~~'~1010m
Fly Creek
,,,iam
.if/
/.'
Mine
Trig
ii,
'
Mt Frederick
1106m
J//
Fig. 3. Fault trends northern BuUer Coalfield. The fault locations are based on unpublished maps by N.Z. State Coal Mines, field
observations by the author, and an unpublished synthesis by S. Nathan (1980) of geological data in Morgan and Bartrum, 1915 and
aerial photograph interpretation. The grid on this map and grid references of subsequent diagrams are from N.Z. Map Series 260,
1 : 50,000 Sheets K29 and L29, Inangahua and Westport. Note location of Figs. 3 and 4 on Fig. 1.
200
D.G. TITHERIDGE
5
1
3. Stratigraphy
The Brunner Coal Measures comprise a relatively simple succession that is 30-100 m thick
over most of the Buller Coalfield (Fig. 5). The
succession comprises basal conglomerate overlain
by very coarse sandstone to granule conglomerate, and a thick laterally persistent coal seam (the
Buller Seam Member), that in places comprises
two or more splits. In the central and southern
I
16
i
I7
i
18
52-
It j : '
lkrn
/ , ,,
,,
Seam isopachs
in metres
A, AH
Rocki~
(26)
/Ji
48-
Webb/Bayn
[ 251)
1I,
Mt A u g u s t u . '
Fly C r e e k
(11)
Stoc
(
46-
Mine
(33)
45-
Mt Frederick
(12)
w3~
)-//.j,;
,
I(I.../,,
,/ ,
44-
43-
Fig. 4. lsopachs of Buller Seam Member, Buller Coalfield. Note location of Figs. 3 and 4 on Fig. 1. Numbers in parentheses
indicate number of drill-holes in general vicinity. Isopachs northwest of the upper Waimangaroa Valley and Trig AH are based on
the seam split comprising the Mangatini Seam Member (as the Matipo Seam Member is absent, see Fig. 6) whereas those in the Fly
Creek, Mt William Mine and upper Waimangaroa Valley (Fig. 7) are based on the entire Buller Seam Member.
Dominant
Lithology
FORMATION
--
Mudstone
MILLERTON
SANDSTONE
/
/
--
100+
Burrowed sandstone,
o~
x. . x . .x . x \
sandstone,
mudstone
Tabular
BRUNNER
00
0-1
\0-30
MEASURES
0-30
'
i/ *
Amalgamated coarse to
granular very coarse
sandstone units
COAL
In many places, the Millerton Sandstone, characterized by intense infaunal bioturbation rests
directly on the Buller Seam Member. The contact
between the Millerton Sandstone and underlying
facies association of tabular sandstone and mudstone is gradational. The Brunner Coal Measures
unconformably overlie Greenland Group quartzite and phyllite of Precambrian age, hornfels and
granite.
Two cross-sections, perpendicular to each
other and based on field sections and selected
drill-hole data, illustrate the variety of splitting
geometries of the Buller Seam Member and correlation between the northern and southernmost
parts of the coalfield (Figs. 6 and 7). Correlation
of drill-hole data is facilitated by close spacing of
drill-holes in some areas (several tens to several
hundreds of metres) and laterally traceable outcrop of the Buller Seam Member or its splits. In
several areas, data are entirely sub-surface. The
datum selected for the sections is, where possible,
the top of the Brunner Coal Measures. Where
this has been removed by recent erosion, the top
of the laterally extensive coal seam has been
used. Mudstone units, by comparison, are relatively impersistent and at best can only be traced
for several hundred metres whereupon they split,
thin or have been eroded out.
The Buller Seam Member is thick, laterally
extensive and may split into four or more seams.
The Buller Seam Member is commonly two to
twelve metres thick and locally up to twenty me-
Thickness
(metres)
KAIATA
FORMATION
201
COAL MEASURES
0-50
0-20
0-120
0-20
A
142493
A,
d904
d902
152494
159494
164490
167484
166483
171484
174486
.
d(MB)
179481
.
185483
187487
Mangatini
~eam Mbr
x
ROCKIES
I/
x\\
250m
NW
2Om
,/
/
x\
xx
OPENCAST
NE OF FLY
CREEK MINE
SE
Fig. 6. Splitting of the Buller Seam Member, Rockies area (NW) to Coal Island Opencast (SE). For explanation of symbols see Fig.
7. Location of section A - A ' is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8.
202
D.G. TITHERIDGE
"-B
d690
(a)
Mingatini
d885
d884
dBS7 187462
155459 d666
187487
NE
Seam Mbr
continued
v
MItipo
Slim
,--
Mbr
6.J .....
-'"
C O A L I S L A N D OPENCAST
~.---
20mL~
250m
81197
d1282
d1182
d1195
d1196
(b)
continued
WAIMANGAROA VALLEY
d1276
dl260
d1282
(c)
continued
053357
065364
d563
~03377
B'--* ]
I ~ l r l l l .
Skm to
H3386
COALBROOKDALE
(d)
,,,
/
//
d1035
drillhole
194456
ii
/
-I~iJezts-"2~%t
-"- -e--B r u n n e r Coal Measures
II
CONGLOMERATE
STREAM
2ore
t
i
Bullet S e a m Member
i
/
f
z
*
basal c o n g l e m e r a t e
260m
basement
//
/
/
i
t
'
SW
1/
1kin
MT ROCHFORT
B-B'
Fig. 7. Seam correlation of the Buller Seam Member between the northern and southern parts of the Buller Coalfield. Location of
is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8.
203
100+
t
54
=,
50/A
5'
eoe
,";-3..
line of section
-Ifcf~
Mt Augustus A "
_~._
J ~
M t Frederick ~ J /
e-
/ e-
c 1~.," ~+
oo
4.
S
.lO
mo
,o
.q
"
38
200 100
,50 ~
B.'&k;1. t Rochf,or
t ,
AF
xHr=-
.-..
1o lO
46
i 1kin n
,
,o,
,2,
,4
~6,
,s,
20
Fig. 8. Isopachs of basal conglomerate and sandstone, Buller Coalfield. Isopachs between the Sullivan Mine and Mt Rochfort (d563
to 053357, Fig. 7d) are based on the interval between the Bullet Seam Member and basement. Isopachs northeast of the Sullivan
Mine are based on the interval from the upper split of the Buller Seam Member (Mangatini Seam Member) to basement (see Fig.
6). A-A', B-B' and C-C' are the approximate location of sections respectivelyillustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 9.
204
of peat. In contrast to the simple splitting described above, some areas in the northern part of
the Buller Coalfield are characterized by complex
seam splitting, e.g. Rockies and Mt William Mine
areas. In zones of complex splitting seam thinning
has resulted from channel scouring.
4. Depositional environments
The Brunner Coal Measures exhibit a wide
range of lithofacies associations. Vertical profiles
exhibit upward fining, no preferred trend and in
some instances upward coarsening. Coarsegrained sequences are variously interpreted as
braided and meandering river deposits, and
crevasse sub-deltas of coastal lakes (Titheridge,
1988, 1992).
In general, mudstone and shale comprise interbeds up to several metres thickness within
sandstone-dominated sequences. Various assemblages of mudstone, shale and interbedded fine
sandstone facies overlying coal represent lake,
pond, floodplain and crevasse processes, splays
and mouth-bar deltas (Titheridge, 1988, 1992).
The extremely low ash yields of Buller coals (less
than 1%) indicate the presence of high-moor
peats.
D.G. T I T H E R I D G E
THICKNESS V A R I A T I O N A N D SEAM S P L I T T I N G IN T H E B R U N N E R C O A L M E A S U R E S
C'
d1193
d1194
d1195
x
\\
/ / UPPER
" WAIMANGAROA
VALLEY
MOUNT
FREDERICK ,
\\
20m]
250m'
/t
VEBB
TREAM
SE
NW
interbads of coaly and/or
carbonaceous mudstorte
205
206
D.G. T I T H E R I D G E
Burrowed sandstone
(Miller ton Sandstone)
Thin coal or
paleosol (0-1m)
Amalgamated coarse
to granular very
coarse sandstone
Alternating fine to
very coarse sandstone,
and mudstone, 0-15m
Carbonaceous mudstone
0 2m
Mangatini Seam
Member, 1-20m
Amalgamated coarse
sandstone to granule
conglomerate units
5-50m
basement
(granite)
Seam Member (Fig. 10) also exhibits a progressive northeast to southwest splitting geometry that
encapsulates thick amalgamated sandstone units
(Fig. 11). Proceeding generally westward from the
entry to the Webb Opencast Mine (1981) and
around the high-walls, the 6 m thick mudstone
splits into two beds (Fig. 11). Over about 100 m,
the upper and lower mudstone splits are separated by 15 m of amalgamated sandstone units.
SW
NE
Webb Oponcas~
16148~ ~63488
dH4~
"Stockton High
(d583i
[d589) . . . . .
. ....
--
(d702)
Id755)
Ash Zone"
~0700}
. " . . - . . . " ..
. . . . .
"" .*. "* - "- "-" *" - ' - ' ' " *
1674~
"--~
J - - - -
]6749(I
~I....L
to ~asement
d732
d719
d ~ ~
d717
"
"
approximately
50m
l
20~-,
metres
basement
several
to
Ooab
High
',ml
as~
coal
Modstone
Sansstoae
J/(121 nearest dr, II nolo to satires
measured in nigh ~alls of we~o O~encast
Fig. 11. Upward coarsening in the clastic sequence overlying the lower splits of the Mangatini Seam Member at the Webb
Opencast Mine.
207
T H I C K N E S S V A R I A T I O N A N D SEAM S P L I T I ' I N G IN T H E B R U N N E R C O A L M E A S U R E S
NE
SW
Rockies
145490
d896
Millerton Mine
d910
d8B3
d912
. . . . .
152494
d1327 d1328
'
"
de100
"---- "--
"
-,~-vv-,,,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
ml
-
Millerton Sandstone
v v vvv
...............
d1087
Mangatini Seam
Member
NOa'
200m
Fig. 12. Geometry and stacking o f elastic units associated with multiple splitting of the Mangatini Seam M e m b e r in the Rockies and
M i l l e r t o n areas.
0194463
194467
Mt William
Fault Zone
193463
d1011
193461
Mt William Mine
lom]
194459
]~
1~om
coal
[]
sandstone dominated
194457
Fig. 13. Progressive multiple splitting of the Matipo Seam Member in the vicinity of the Mt William Mine and Mt William Fault.
Note the progressive northward splitting of the seam and the lateral transition from a thick coal to a sequence dominated by
sandstone with numerous very thin seams.
208
D.G. TITHERIDGE
2 - 10m
A
basement
-i
" . "
"~ " "
. . .sandstone'
.
to' granular
conglomerate dominated
sequence
,"
A
i n f e r r e d f a u l t or f a u l t z o n e
Fig. 14. O c c u r r e n c e o f t h i n b a s a l c o n g l o m e r a t e a n d t h i c k b a s a l s a n d s t o n e s e q u e n c e s a n d t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p to s y n - d e p o s i t i o n a l
faults.
Variation in thickness between Mt AugustusMt Frederick and the Mt William M i n e Waimangaroa Valley areas (Fig. 6) is of the order
-____----"~ - - ~ ~
r_
100 to 250metres
LATERAL CHANGES1
IN SEAM GEOMETRY,-
LATERAL CHANGESq
thick amalgamated
sandstone units
channel belt
IN MAJOR CLASTIC F
SPLIT
multiple splitting
Fig. 15. Summary of the main architectural elements of the Brunner Coal Measures associated with simple splitting, and their
relationship to syn-depositional faulting and subsidence.
T H I C K N E S S V A R I A T I O N A ND SEAM SPLrVFING IN T H E B R U N N E R C O A L M E A S U R E S
209
210
northeast trending fault systems during deposition of the Brunner Coal Measures. Synchronous
or nearly synchronous movement of several faults
with different strike, differences in rate and
amount of movement along faults, and subsidence of adjacent areas at different times, have
the potential to produce a variety of splitting
scenarios and isopach patterns. For example,
isopachs of the Mangatini Seam Member in the
Webb Mine, Baynes Barren Belt and Millerton
Fire areas are characterized by both a northwest
trend with extreme local thickenings (Fig. 4) and
general thinning to the southeast. This suggests
tilting to the northwest in addition to the stronger
and local influence of northwest-striking faults.
The axis of the clastic split in the W e b b /
Baynes area (GR 167490, Fig. 11) is coincident
with the Mangatini Fault. An elongate belt of
very thick coal occurs immediately to the northeast of the Mangatini Fault (Figs. 3, 4, 11). It
would appear that when downthrow on the northeastern side of the Mangatini Fault ceased, movement on an unidentified fault to the southwest,
and tilting to the southwest, began. The northeastern limit of the tilt block and axis of splitting
was the Mangatini Fault. This illustrates that
subsidence of adjacent half-graben blocks (with
similar senses of symmetry) at different times,
can influence the style of splitting.
In the Millerton and W e b b / B a y n e s area,
where the Buller Seam Member rests on or close
to basement, it may exhibit thickening from ten
to twenty metres over less than several hundred
metres. Such large thickness variation over small
lateral distances is virtually unknown in seams in
sequences hundreds of metres above basement
(e.g. Brunner Seam, Greymouth Coalfield). This
is probably because the influence of syn-depositional faulting in basement can be obscured by
the effects of differential compaction in overlying
sandstone and mudstone sequences particularly if
sandstone deposition is concentrated in the areas
of highest subsidence. It would appear that the
strong relationship between fault and seam
isopach trends in the Buller Coalfield reflects the
proximity of seams to basement and is enhanced
by the scarcity or absence of thick mudstone
beneath the Bullet Seam Member.
D.G. ' I T F H E R I D G E
211
8. Conclusions
(i) The Brunner Coal Measures were deposited directly on basement in a basin characterized by extension. They are characterized by locally thick basal conglomerate (Mt Rochfort) and
sandstone (Waimangaroa Valley), locally thick
coal seams and a simple seam-splitting geometry
with split separations of up to 50 m.
(ii) The close relationship between seam
isopachs, and faults with north-northeast and
northwest orientations, indicates that the faults
were active during deposition of the Brunner
Coal Measures. Thickness variation in basal conglomerate and sandstone is also due to syn-depositional fault movement.
(iii) Lateral thickening of coal seams and clastic sequences between simple seam splits in the
Brunner Coal Measures largely reflects lateral
variation in amount of subsidence associated with
syn-depositional tilting of half-graben blocks.
(iv) The differences in local rates of syn-depositional subsidence associated with tilting of
fault blocks influenced the migration of river
channel belts and hence the occurrence and splitting characteristics of coal, and in some instances
the local preservation of overbank facies overlying coal in sequences dominated by channel sandstone.
Acknowledgements
The author gratefully acknowledges the contribution of B.G. Jones and referees, M.G. Laird,
M.R. Gibling, T.A. Cross and E.S. Belt whose
suggestions have improved the manuscript, and
the assistance and forbearance of Jae-Eun
Titheridge. The author also gratefully acknowledges use of some of the diagrams published by
the Ministry of Commerce, New Zealand, in
Titheridge, 1992.
212
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