Trace Elements in West Virginia Coals

Thorium (Th) Summary Statistics

Thorium in West Virginia coals averaged 3.02 ppm (± 2.12 ppm) with a skewed histogram showing a significant tail toward higher values and a maximum value of 12.9 ppm. Highest Th samples occurred in the Stockton and Coalburg coals. Thorium correlated moderately well with ash yield, and the ash related elements hafnium (Hf), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), scandium (Sc), lithium (Li), lead (Pb), zirconium (Zr), vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), tellurium (Te), gallium (Ga) and cesium (Cs). Thorium also correlated with rare earth elements present in the mineral monazite, especially cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), lutetium (Lu), ytterbium (Yb), dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb) and neodymium (Nd).

**Spearman Correlation Coefficients (r) with Thorium**
Ash Yield	Hf	Cr	Ce	Ta	La	Sc	Li	Sm	Eu	Pb
+0.7912	+0.8947	+0.8898	+0.8880	+0.8766	+0.8745	+0.8644	+0.8174	+0.8142	+0.8053	+0.7984
n = 822	n = 508	n = 821	n = 530	n = 461	n = 526	n = 822	n = 822	n = 525	n = 527	n = 819
Lu	Zr	V	Yb	Nb	Dy	Tb	Nd	Te	Ga	Cs
+0.7622	+0.7590	+0.7511	+0.7482	+0.7104	+0.6867	+0.6786	+0.6785	+0.6723	+0.6619	+0.6443
n = 502	n = 728	n = 821	n = 529	n = 810	n = 70	n = 493	n = 414	n = 113	n = 821	n = 776

To request specific information from a Survey geologist click here.

Page last revised: March 2, 2002

Please send questions, comments, and/or suggestions to webmaster.

Page created and maintained by:
            West Virginia Geological & Economic Survey
  Address:  Mont Chateau Research Center
            Cheat Lake exit off I-68
            P.O. Box 879
            Morgantown, WV  26507-0879
Telephone:  1-800-WV-GEOLOgy (1-800-984-3656) or 304-594-2331
      FAX:  304-594-2575
    Hours:  8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday - Friday

Permission to reproduce this material is granted if acknowledgment is given to the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey.