About the Sediment Core Analysis: XRF Course
Understand the non-destructive methods that can be used with sediment cores
Identify and locate suitable samples for your study
Learn how to prepare core samples for XRF analysis
Be able to clean, present and interpret your data inline with community best practise guidelines
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Program details
Fully online
Study at your own pace at a time to suit you.
Support
Community support from facility staff for each course.
CPD
Downloadable certificates of learning available for each method.
Lifelong access
Once you have completed the course, revisit the modules as needed.
What you need
A computer, internet access and a .ac.uk email address, enthusiasm and c. 20 hours per course.
What you don’t need
Your own data, an approved grant application to a facility, to do the course in one sitting, a PhD.
Open for enrolment Spring 2024
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.