Abstract
Use of the highest resolution (0.1 mm) step-size of the Itrax core scanner on fine-scale structured sediment requires careful prior evaluation of the data. The first step for optimization is to select the best Itrax acquisition settings to obtain a robust geochemical record. μ-XRF results reproducibility can then be evaluated according to the abundance and the detectability of elements. Data are considered as ‘good quality’ when elements are highly or moderately detectable and highly abundant in the sediment. They are of ‘medium quality’ if elements are poorly detectable but highly abundant in the sediment. Data are described as ‘low quality’ when elements are highly and moderately detectable and moderately or weakly abundant. Further assessment of analytical errors shows that topographical anomalies on the core surface may decrease validity of μ-XRF results without consequences on the quality of the micro-radiography. Optimized protocols for µ-XRF acquisition are then applied to an Arctic lacustrine varved sediment sequence. This case study highlights the high potential of micro X-ray fluorescence for paleohydrological and -climatological interpretations at very high temporal resolution (i.e. annual and inter-annual scales).
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Acknowledgments
We thank the Polar Continental Shelf Project, Natural Resources Canada (PCSP) for logistical support. This work was supported by grants from the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) and the Canadian Federal Program for the International Polar Year (IPY) awarded to Pierre Francus and Scott Lamoureux. We thank Scott Lamoureux for the material, GEOTOP (Geochemistry and Geodynamics Research Center) for funding of experiments, and Cox Analytical Systems for their help in understanding instrument performance. We are especially grateful to David Fortin and Anna Pienkowski-Furze for their assistance in core processing and an anonymous reviewer, Guy Rothwell and Isabelle Larocque for translation assistance.
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Cuven, S., Francus, P., Crémer, J., Bérubé, F. (2015). Optimization of Itrax Core Scanner Protocols for the Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Finely Laminated Sediment: A Case Study of Lacustrine Varved Sediment from the High Arctic. In: Croudace, I., Rothwell, R. (eds) Micro-XRF Studies of Sediment Cores. Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9849-5_10
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