Suárez-Ruiz, and three co-authors, reported in 2012 that organic petrology can be applied to unconventional and multidisciplinary investigations and this paper is the second part of a two part review that describes the geological applications and uses of this branch of earth sciences. Therefore, this paper reviews the use of organic petrology in investigations of:
i) ore genesis when organic matter occurs associated with mineralization;
ii) the behavior of organic matter in coal fires (self-heating and self-combustion);
iii) environmental and anthropogenic impacts associated with the management and industrial utilization of coal;
iv) archeology and the nature and geographical provenance of objects of organic nature such as jet, amber, other artifacts and coal from archeological sites; and
v) forensic science connected with criminal behavior or disasters. This second part of the review outlines the most recent research and applications of organic petrology in those fields.
The role of organic petrology in areas other than geology (discussed in Part 1 of this review) and industry (reviewed by Suárez- Ruiz and Crelling, 2008) was addressed herein. The scope of organic petrology in unconventional applications and its importance for ore genesis and other multidisciplinary investigations such as coal fires (self-heating and self-combustion), and environmental, archeological and forensic sciences, was discussed. Some ore deposits of economic interest as hosts of metals (uranium, gold, zinc, lead, copper, among others) are associated with organic matter. The nature of involvement of the organic matter in issues related to ore formation and interaction of organic matter with metals was discussed with special reference to the most exploited and larger ore bodies from all over the world.
Other applications of organic petrology are less well known but are of increasing societal relevance. Coal fires in un-mined outcrops, abandoned mines and coal-waste piles constitute a serious safety and environmental hazard. Petrologic studies of organic matter and mineralogical changes contribute to evaluation of factors responsible for spontaneous combustion and also to assess the changes that are taking place in coal and coal-waste material as a result of coal fires. In the same way, organic petrology, together with other analytical methods, has been widely used in investigations of anthropogenic disruption and the pollution of natural environments and ecosystems by residues of the management and industrial utilization of coal. Organic petrography has been a tool for archeologists to ascertain the nature and origin of organic materials such as jet and amber and an important way to link artifacts and coal from archeological sites to the geographical areas of their provenance. Some examples were presented to illustrate the application of the discipline in this archeology field.
Palynological analysis is one of the traditional methods used in forensic geology. However, some examples are described in the literature and herein where the incident light organic petrology techniques together with other microscopic and geochemical methodologies were successfully used in forensic investigation. In the light of what has been described, it is anticipated that the application of organic petrology techniques will remain strong in the traditional areas of investigation, including depositional environments and basin analysis, fossil fuel exploration (conventional and unconventional systems), ore deposits and in coal utilization. However, the future of this field will grow as the techniques are increasingly incorporated into multidisciplinary environmental and forensic science investigations with pressing societal relevance.
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