Comparison and Calibration of Elemental Measurements in Sediments Using X-Ray Fluorescence Core Scanning with ICP Methods: A Case Study of the South China Sea Deep Basin.

The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning method is widely applied in studies of sedimentary paleoenvironments due to its convenient pretreatment, nondestructive characteristics, fast execution, continuous scanning, and high resolution. XRF core scanning for sediments is commonly used in the studies on the South China Sea. This study compares XRF-scanned intensities and measured inductively coupled plasma (ICP) elemental contents of core CS11 in the northeast South China Sea deep basin. The results show that the analyzed elements can be separated into three classes. Class I includes elements with high correlation coefficients, such as Ca, Sr, and Zr; Class II contains elements with average correlation coefficients, such as Fe, Mn, Ti, and Cu; and Class III comprises elements with low correlation coefficients, such as K, Ni, Zn, Rb, and Al. In the South China Sea deep basin, pore water, compaction, and grain size have weak effects on the elemental intensities and contents of short core sediments. Hence, for elements with high correlation coefficients, a linear relationship model can be established by the least-squares method, in which the converted XRF intensities are approximately equal to the measured ICP contents. Based on the established log-ratio calibration model, the resulting ln(K/Ca), ln(Ti/Ca), ln(Fe/Ca), and ln(Zr/Ca) values generally display the same variation trends as the measured curves. The elemental contents and ratios produced by the linear model via the least-squares method and the log-ratio calibration model are expected to provide high-resolution data support for future paleoenvironmental research on the South China Sea deep basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]