| Title | A practical image analysis technique for estimating the weight of abraded mineral fractions used in U-Pb dating |
| Download | Download (whole publication) |
| Author | Matthews, W; Davis, W J |
| Source | Radiogenic age and isotopic studies: Report 12; by Geological Survey of Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research no. 1999-F, 1999 p. 1-7, https://doi.org/10.4095/210357 |
| Year | 1999 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper |
| Related | This publication is contained in Geological Survey of
Canada; (1999). Radiogenic age and isotopic studies: Report 12, Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research no. 1999-F |
| Subjects | geochronology; mathematical and computational geology; analytical methods; zircons; computer applications |
| Illustrations | analyses; photomicrographs |
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| Released | 1999 04 01 |
| Abstract | A simple method for estimating the weight of abraded zircon grains from a digital photomicrograph is presented. It requires less than five minutes, uses image analysis software to determine the lengths
of the two principal axes of a zircon grain from a digital image, and, combined with user-specified morphological characteristics, calculates the weight using an empirically derived factor. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated using ten
abraded zircon fractions of varied morphologies and sizes. Model weight calculations for nine of the ten samples are within ±10 per cent of the weights measured by an electronic microbalance. The method can be used for single grains or individual
grains in a multigrain fraction. This method is unlikely to eliminate entirely the need to weigh zircon samples, but it will help reduce or eliminate grain loss between the selection and microchemistry stages for many analyses. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 210357 |
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