Deformation of coal measures and the factors that control it in China

This paper studies the major controlling factors of coal measures deformation and coalfield tectonic framework in China, presents the concept of the coal measures deformational sub-region, and summarizes the deformational features of five coal bearing areas in China. The deformational sub-regions in China fall into two basic types: 1) the concentric rings association developed on the stable platform, and 2) the parallel strips association developed on the technically active belt. Controlled by the geodynamic framework of continental lithosphere, the deformation and distribution of coal measures in China can be divided into three parts: the eastern reformation zone, the western compression zone, and the middle transition zone.