SEM analysis of rock varnish chemistry for cation-ratio dating: An examination of electron beam penetration depths.

摘要

Rock varnish is a microns-thick manganese- and iron-rich coating that forms on exposed rock surfaces in arid and semi-arid environments. Empirical correlations of the varnish cation ratio (K+Ca)/Ti with age have been used to estimate ages of geomorphic surfaces, with varnish chemistry generally acquired by either proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) analysis of natural varnish surfaces. Chemical analyses of rock varnish with SEM/EDX utilize a sequence of accelerating voltages to vary penetration depths into the sample. Using elemental x-ray maps of natural varnish surfaces with SEM/EDX, penetration into the substrate can be recognized at accelerating voltages where contamination with substrate is inferred from SEM/EDX chemical analyses. This demonstrates the ability of the SEM method to obtain varnish chemistry with minimal inclusion of substrate. Calculations of theoretical x-ray depth-distribution ((phi)((rho)z)) curves in varnish indicate that at an accelerating voltage of 10 kV most of the emitted electrons are generated in the upper 0.5 micron of a sample. At a higher voltage of 30 kV most of the signal is still restricted to the upper 2 microns, representing a very small percentage of total varnish volume in many cases. The ability of the SEM method to obtain empirical correlations of the chemistry of the uppermost varnish with varnish age suggests that significant time-dependent changes in chemistry occur in the upper one- to two-microns of rock varnish. 11 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.