Operator error in petrographic point-count analysis: A theoretical approach

Abstract

Operator error in petrographic point-count analysis introduces bias into the estimates of proportion in a thin section. A correction for this bias, leading to an unbiased estimator of the true proportion in that thin section, is here proposed. Operator error also affects the confidence interval, and in this situation, too, an adjustment is possible. The approach proposed requires that the probabilities associated with operator error, categorized into A-type and B-type errors, are known or assumed. The A-type operator error tends to underestimate the true proportion in a thin section, whereas the B-type operator error tends to overestimate it.