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Self-heating of coal waste is a major problem in the leading coal-producing and consuming countries, independent of the recent or past coal exploitation history. The phenomenon of self-heating is dependent on many factors such as the properties of organic matter (maceral composition and rank), moisture and pyrite content, climate effects, and storage conditions (shape of the dump or compaction of the coal waste). Once deposited, coal waste undergoes oxidation, which can lead to self-heating with the overall temperatures exceeding 1000 °C. During these self-heating processes, both organic and mineral matter undergo oxidative and thermal alterations, being influenced, among others, by the rate of heating as well as by the access of air and moisture. The morphological features of organic matter in coal waste at microscopic scale reflect the thermal conditions within the waste dump. Since 2008, several exercises designed to establish a petrographic classification system of oxidatively- and thermally-altered morphological forms of organic particles present in self-heated coal waste dumps have been carried out within the Self-heating of Coal and Coal Waste Working Group (Self-Heating WG), in Commission III of the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP). Based on the degree of oxidative and thermal alteration, all assessed organic particles were divided into unaltered particles (huminite, vitrinite, liptinite, and inertinite macerals), altered particles, and newly formed particles (pyrolytic carbon, bitumen, chars, graphite, and coke). Altered particles were further divided according to their optical properties (porous, massive; isotropic, anisotropic). For altered particles the following specific features were distinguished: fractures, fissures, cracks; brighter rims; darker rims; plasticised edges; bands; devolatilisation pores; paler in colour particles. The final petrographic classification of oxidatively- and thermally-altered morphological forms

Based on the ‘European Mires Book’ of the International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG), this article provides a composite map of national datasets as the first comprehensive peatland map for the whole of Europe. We also present estimates of the extent of peatlands and mires in each European country individually and for the entire continent. A minimum peat thickness criterion has not been strictly applied, to allow for (often historically determined) country-specific definitions. Our ‘peatland’ concept includes all ‘mires’, which are peatlands where peat is being formed. The map was constructed by merging national datasets in GIS while maintaining the mapping scales of the original input data. This ‘bottom-up’ approach indicates that the overall area of peatland in Europe is 593,727 km². Mires were found to cover more than 320,000 km² (around 54 % of the total peatland area). If shallow-peat lands (< 30 cm peat) in European Russia are also taken into account, the total peatland area in Europe is more than 1,000,000 km2 , which is almost 10 % of the total surface area. Composite inventories of national peatland information, as presented here for Europe, may serve to identify gaps and priority areas for field survey, and help to cross-check and calibrate remote sensing based mapping approaches.

Based on the ‘European Mires Book’ of the International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG), this article provides a composite map of national datasets as the first comprehensive peatland map for the whole of Europe. We also present estimates of the extent of peatlands and mires in each European country individually and for the entire continent. A minimum peat thickness criterion has not been strictly applied, to allow for (often historically determined) country-specific definitions. Our ‘peatland’ concept includes all ‘mires’, which are peatlands where peat is being formed. The map was constructed by merging national datasets in GIS while maintaining the mapping scales of the original input data. This ‘bottom-up’ approach indicates that the overall area of peatland in Europe is 593,727 km2. Mires were found to cover more than 320,000 km2 (around 54 % of the total peatland area). If shallow-peat lands (< 30 cm peat) in European Russia are also taken into account, the total peatland area in Europe is more than 1,000,000 km2 which is almost 10 % of the total surface area. Composite inventories of national peatland information, as presented here for Europe, may serve to identify gaps and priority areas for field survey, and help to cross-check and calibrate remote sensing based mapping approaches.

The liptinite maceral group has been revised by ICCP in accordance with the ICCP System 1994. After the revision of the classifications of vitrinite (ICCP, 1998), inertinite, (ICCP, 2001) and huminite (Sykorova et al., 2005) this liptinite classification completes the revised ICCP maceral group classifications. These classifications are collectively referred to as the ICCP System 1994. In contrast to the previous ICCP Stopes Heerlen (ICCP, 1963, 1971, 1975, 1993) this new classification system is applicable to coal of all ranks and dispersed organic matter. The classification as presented here was accepted in the ICCP Plenary Session on September 11, 2015 at the ICCP Meeting in Potsdam and the decision to publish it in the recent form was accepted at the ICCP Plenary Session on September 23, 2016 in Houston. (Authors.), The liptinite maceral group has been revised by ICCP in accordance with the ICCP System 1994. After the revision of the classifications of vitrinite (ICCP, 1998), inertinite, (ICCP, 2001) and huminite (Sykorova et al., 2005) this liptinite classification completes the revised ICCP maceral group classifications. These classifications are collectively referred to as the ICCP System 1994. In contrast to the previous ICCP Stopes Heerlen (ICCP, 1963, 1971, 1975, 1993) this new classification system is applicable to coal of all ranks and dispersed organic matter. The classification as presented here was accepted in the ICCP Plenary Session on September 11, 2015 at the ICCP Meeting in Potsdam and the decision to publish it in the recent form was accepted at the ICCP Plenary Session on September 23, 2016 in Houston. (Authors.)

The results are presented of trials carried out using a soil- improvement medium produced from German lignite through oxidative ammonolysis, resulting in enrichment and long-term availability of nitrogen. Seeds of the endemic herbaceous plant Atriplex halimus were planted on a vermiculite substrate, the young plants transplanted using a kaolin/perlite substrate and then finally transplanted to the slopes of the spoil heaps of the kaolin open pit at Kastriani, Milos. The plants responded well under the prevailing arid conditions and the addition of the lignite medium improved the soil characteristics in relation to total and bio-available nitrogen, with sufficient nitrogen remaining after a year. The use is discussed of Greek lignite reserves for the production of low-cost soil-improvement media., The results are presented of trials carried out using a soil- improvement medium produced from German lignite through oxidative ammonolysis, resulting in enrichment and long-term availability of nitrogen. Seeds of the endemic herbaceous plant Atriplex halimus were planted on a vermiculite substrate, the young plants transplanted using a kaolin/perlite substrate and then finally transplanted to the slopes of the spoil heaps of the kaolin open pit at Kastriani, Milos. The plants responded well under the prevailing arid conditions and the addition of the lignite medium improved the soil characteristics in relation to total and bio-available nitrogen, with sufficient nitrogen remaining after a year. The use is discussed of Greek lignite reserves for the production of low-cost soil-improvement media.

The Philippi peat, NE Greece, constitutes one of the largest fossil fuel deposits in the Balkans and its potential use for power generation cannot be ruled out in the future. In this study, the concentrations of 43 trace elements (Ag, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, La, Li, Mo, Nb, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, and Zr) in the 550 °C peat ashes are determined and related to the concentrations in the bulk peat, to evaluate the behavior of each element during combustion. Mineralogical analysis of the chemically oxidized peat samples revealed that clay minerals, feldspars, quartz, gypsum, and calcite are the dominant mineral phases. The behavior of the trace elements during combustion depends significantly on this mineral composition that, in turn, depends on the depositional conditions during peat accumulation.

The Drama basin is a typical intermontane basin (2,300 km2) in northern Greece filled with detrital and lacustrine sediments containing peat/lignite seams. In the southwestern part of the basin (Philippi sub-basin) peat accumulated practically until the present. Specific conductivity and pH, as well as contents of major ions and trace elements have been determined in 20 surface and shallow groundwater samples collected across the basin. Water composition reflects the dominance of carbonate rocks in the whole basin. Peat oxidation and mineralization contribute to poor element enrichment of the Philippi sub-basin surface water derived from both the organic and inorganic peat fractions. Anthropogenic activities (waste water effluents and rubbish dumps) increase Mn, P, B, and Br concentrations. Only Mn exceeds EC recommendations (50 µg/l) in some places. There is also a slight increase in Na+ and Cl- contents. Improving measures in the management of point pollution sources should be a priority to warrant the sustainable exploitation of water resources in the Drama basin.

Six peat samples obtained from the Holocene and the Weichselian of the Philippi peat deposit, eastern Macedonia, Greece, were analyzed for 48 trace elements by Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP–MS). The ash contents of these samples were also determined. Most of the trace elements are associated with the minerals in the peat, while Ge, Mo, Pb, Se, Ta, Tl, U, and W display a greater affinity with the organic matter. Compared with crustal averages (Clarke concentrations), the Philippi peat is enriched in some elements (Ag, As, Au, Cd, Mo, Se, Te, U, and W) because of the respective mineralizations in the area. The Philippi peat is also enriched in Cr, Cu, Mo, Pb, Sc, Sn, T, V, Y, and Zn in comparison with typical fen peats, as well as in As, Cr, Mo, Se, and U in comparison with typical coals. Climatic and hydrogeological conditions strongly influenced the peat-forming environment resulting in a differentiation between Holocene and Weichselian peat. Generally, the Holocene peat contains lower concentrations of trace elements in the northern and southern part of the fen, than the Weichselian one. The opposite trend is observed in the fen area close to the western basin margins.