This course will cover a range of non-destructive approaches to geochemical analysis of sediment cores, to include marine, terrestrial and lacustrine materials, in addition to a range of novel sample types that can also be analysed in this way. We will cover the range of widely available XRF scanners, including the Itrax, Avaatech, Geotek and Olympus systems, and cover all aspects of analysis from sample preparation, through data cleaning and interpretation, and how to construct a continuous downcore record.
This course is suitable for students and professionals at all levels, and will give you a comprehensive understanding of the theory of XRF, the limitations of the method, and clarify the many descriptors used for XRF data. We will cover how to handle data cleaning and processing manually using Excel, and also introduce you to some XRF specific software that can assist you in processing your core. Featuring contributions from XRF operators, software developers and scientists who have worked with the data to answer questions relating to geohazards, climate change and pollution studies.
This course will be launching in Spring, 2023.
