Coal - A Palyno-Petrographic Approach

As the very title of the paper indicates, the two aspects of Coal viz., palynology and petrography are necessary for a complete study. It is known that there exists an intimate genetic relationship between the microfossils and petrographic components of coal. No serious attempt however has so far been made for an integrated palynopetrographic study which can resolve the complex nature of coal. In this paper some methods for the study of microfossil and maceral components of coal, their association and utility from the point of view of the present approach are briefly described; and these help us in understanding the complex nature of coal.