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Micro-XRF Studies of Sediment Cores pp 103–126Cite as

Optimization of Itrax Core Scanner Measurement Conditions for Sediments from Submarine Mud Volcanoes

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Part of the book series: Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research ((DPER,volume 17))

Abstract

XRF scanners allow fast, high-resolution delivery of geochemical and physical property data from sediment cores. However, lack of standardized protocols for measuring parameter settings can lead to results of inferior quality to the instrument’s real potential, particularly regarding light elements. In this study, a sediment core from a mud volcano in the Alboran Sea (off SE Spain) with very heterogeneous sedimentological character was analyzed using an Itrax™ Core Scanner (ITRAX). This study assesses some of the factors that influence measurements: type of anode used, X-ray exposure time, and effects resulting from the sample’s exposure to room temperature during analysis as well as those caused by refrigerated storage. Quality and accuracy of the ITRAX data was evaluated by comparison with quantitative measurements obtained by conventional XRF and ICP-OES on discrete samples. The results obtained suggest 20 s is an optimal exposure time as this gives good quality results for the majority of elements analyzed, including light elements and trace elements (e.g. Al (1.9–6.6 %), Cr (84–161 µg g−1), Ni (35–62.5 µg g−1)). Additionally, this analysis time is not significantly detrimental to core condition. The ITRAX capacity to identify diagenetic and authigenic processes in this type of geochemical environment is also demonstrated.

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Acknowledgments

FPU grant awarded to I. Rodríguez-Germade. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through projects CGL2008-03474-E, GCL2010-16688 and IPT-310000-2010-17; and by the Xunta de Galicia through project 10MMA312022PR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310, Vigo, Spain

    Isabel Rodríguez-Germade, Belén Rubio, Daniel Rey & Federico Vilas

  2. Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences, CSIC-University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Carmen F. López-Rodríguez, Maria Carmen Comas & Francisca Martínez-Ruiz

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  1. Isabel Rodríguez-Germade
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  2. Belén Rubio
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  3. Daniel Rey
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  4. Federico Vilas
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  5. Carmen F. López-Rodríguez
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  6. Maria Carmen Comas
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  7. Francisca Martínez-Ruiz
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Correspondence to Belén Rubio .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom

    Ian W. Croudace

  2. National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom

    R. Guy Rothwell

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Rodríguez-Germade, I. et al. (2015). Optimization of Itrax Core Scanner Measurement Conditions for Sediments from Submarine Mud Volcanoes. 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_3

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