Organic Petrology

''Organic Petrology'' is a new book, but one with antecedents. It is rooted in the famous ``Stach''s Textbook of Coal Petrology'''' (1975) and its predecessor ``Stach''s Lehrbuch der Kohlenpetrologie'''' (1935) but has been completely revised and expanded in order to incorporate a huge amount of new data obtained in the two decades since the publication of the 3rd edition of Stach. ''Organic Petrology'' now covers the whole field of the petrology of organic material in rocks. This book, wich is relevant for all those, whose work is related to coal, oil and gas source rocks, and other organic matter which occurs in rocks, deals with: characterization, microstructure; geology and biology of formation of organic matter; maturation and increase in coal rank and the generation of hydrocarbons which takes place concurrently; experimental organic petrology; physical and chemical properties of organic compounds in rocks; industrial processing of coal and the application of organic petrology in solving geological problems (such as determining rates of subsidence, thermal histories). Sections which introduce major topics are organized so as to allow easy access to the topic, even for the non-specialist. No field of science can avoid the use of technical terms -- these are explained when they are used for the first time. The text is supplemented by an exhaustive reference list and a subject index. Information on the worldwide stratigraphic distribution of coal deposits and organic matter-bearing rocks, is included in an appendix. ''Organic Petrology'' was authored by a team of six high ranking authors, coordinated by G.H. Taylor, ANU, Canberra. The number of authors refects the breadth of organic petrology that this book covers. Some material, revised and updated, was incorporated from the classic ''''Stach''s Textbook of Coal Petrology'''' which this new book supplants by providing a greatly broadened view of organic matter in rocks and drawing on up to date research results