Trace Elements in West Virginia Coals

Stratigraphic Distribution of Cerium (Ce)

Chart of average cerium (Ce) content, in ppm on a whole coal basis, for each West Virginia coal bed in stratigraphic order (larger version) — Select the chart to open a larger version.

The stratigraphic distribution of Cerium (Ce) shows no particular trends in abundance in West Virginia coals. The lowest cerium contents appear to be in coals of the lower Kanawha Formation which are generally low in ash yield. Most Ce is appears to occur in the mineral monazite, and the ubiquitous occurrence of minor quantities of monazite in West Virginia coals probably explains the lack of a stratigraphic trend.

General Elements Page

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Page content last revised: March 1, 2002