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A simple method to ‘point count’ silt using scanning electron microscopy aided by image analysis
Author(s) -
Ware C. I.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2818.2003.01234.x
Subject(s) - silt , mineralogy , quartz , mineral , feldspar , scanning electron microscope , weathering , amphibole , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , geology , chemistry , metallurgy , geochemistry , composite material , environmental chemistry , paleontology
Summary This study presents a simple method to ‘point count’ silt‐sized grains using backscattered scanning electron microscopy together with image analysis. The work materialized out of the need to determine the heavy mineral abundance within silt obtained from coastal dunes to aid in the interpretation of dune weathering. This technique allows two broad mineral groups to be quantified according to their modal abundance. The groups are characterized by their dominant atomic elements present; atomic numbers > 20 are classified as ‘high’ (metal oxides, zircon, monazite, carbonates, pyroxenes and amphiboles) and those < 20 as ‘low’ (quartz, feldspars and organics). As a check on this technique, X‐ray fluorescence was used. This showed a strong positive correlation ( r 2 = 0.85) with the developed point counting technique.