Open AccessInfluence of the water content on X‐ray fluorescence core‐scanning measurements in soft marine sediments
Author(s) -
Tjallingii Rik,
Röhl Ursula,
Kölling Martin,
Bickert Torsten
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geochemistry, geophysics, geosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.928
H-Index - 136
ISSN - 1525-2027
DOI - 10.1029/2006gc001393
Subject(s) - sediment , seawater , core sample , scanner , geology , mineralogy , core (optical fiber) , x ray fluorescence , analytical chemistry (journal) , fluorescence , environmental chemistry , materials science , chemistry , oceanography , geomorphology , optics , composite material , physics
The X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanner provides bulk‐sediment chemistry data measured nondestructively at the split core sediment surface. Although this method is widely accepted, there is little known about the effects of physical properties such as density and water content on XRF core scanner data. Comparison of XRF scanner measurements from the sediment surface and dry powder samples of sediment core GeoB7920 indicates strongly reduced element intensities for the lighter elements Al and Si. We relate the lower element intensities of the measurements taken at the sediment surface to the amount of water in the sample volume analyzed by the XRF core scanner. The heavier elements K, Ca, Ti, and Fe remain relatively unaffected by the variation of any physical property within sediment core GeoB7920. Additionally, we successfully use the elemental intensity of Cl as a proxy for the seawater content in the sample volume analyzed by the XRF core scanner. This enables the establishment of a correction function for the elements Al and Si that corrects for the radiation absorption of the water content in sediment core GeoB7920 off Cape Blanc, NW Africa.