Note: Intro -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Contributors -- About the Editors -- Explanation of Abbreviations and Acronyms -- Chapter-1 -- Micro-XRF Studies of Sediment Cores: A Perspective on Capability and Application in the Environmental Sciences -- Introduction -- The Development of XRF Core Scanners-A Boon to the Environmental Sciences -- The Core Scanner Community -- Scope of the Volume -- Marine Sediment Applications -- Lacustrine, Fluvial and Terrestrial Applications -- Environmental Geochemistry and Forensics Applications -- Core Scanner Technology Optimisation -- References -- Part I -- Marine Studies -- Chapter-2 -- Twenty Years of XRF Core Scanning Marine Sediments: What Do Geochemical Proxies Tell Us? -- Introduction -- History of XRF Core Scanning of Marine Sediments -- Early Non-chemical Methods of Determining Climate Changes -- Discovery of X-ray Fluorescence -- Early Geochemical Studies of Marine Sediments -- The Development of XRF Core Scanners -- Review of Marine Science Applications -- Core Description and Characterisation -- Studies of Climatically-Driven Cycles in Sediment Deposition that are Reflected in Element (e.g. Ca or Fe) Fluctuations Over Time -- Sedimentological Applications, Where Primary Features or Events May be Recognised by Their Exotic Composition or Localised and/or Organised Bed Characteristics -- Studies of Sediment Provenance Based on Chemical Differences in Source Areas -- Cluster Analysis and Facies Interpretation of Sedimentary Environments -- Studies of Diagenesis and Secondary Modification -- Core Correlation and Orbitally-Tuning High-Resolution Core Log Records -- Environmental Impact Studies -- Methods of Data Analysis -- Factors Affecting Data Quality -- Core Type -- Sample Preparation -- Effects of Sample Heterogeneities -- Response Depth. , Plotting Core-Scanner Data-the Importance of Normalisation and Log-Ratios -- The Geochemical Proxies -- Fe, Ti and Magnetic Susceptibility -- Concluding Remarks -- References -- Chapter-3 -- Optimization of Itrax Core Scanner Measurement Conditions for Sediments from Submarine Mud Volcanoes -- Introduction -- Materials and Methods -- Results and Discussion -- Factors that Influence ITRAXTM Core Scanner Data Acquisition -- Comparison of Al and Si Results Obtained with Cr- and Mo-tubes -- Comparative Study of Core 419G Using Different Exposure Times -- Effects of Aging on Core 419G -- Geochemical Profiles from the Mud Volcano Maya -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter-4 -- Use of Calibrated ITRAX XRF Data in Determining Turbidite Geochemistry and Provenance in Agadir Basin, Northwest African Passive Margin -- Introduction -- Geological Setting -- Methodology and Data -- Visual and Sedimentological Logging -- ITRAX μXRF Core Scanning -- ICP-OES Analysis -- Grain-Size Analysis -- Results -- Turbidite Geochemistry -- Volcaniclastic Turbidites (Beds A2, A8 and A14) -- Organic-Rich Siliciclastic Turbidites (Beds A1, A3, A5, A7, A11, A12 and A13) -- Calcareous Turbidites (Bed A10) -- Discussion -- Turbidite Correlation -- Turbidite Provenance -- Conclusions -- Appendix 1 -- Appendix 2 -- References -- Chapter-5 -- Identification, Correlation and Origin of Multistage Landslide Events in Volcaniclastic Turbidites in the Moroccan Turbidite System -- Introduction -- Geological Setting -- Methodology and Data -- Visual Sediment Logging -- WD-XRF Analyses -- Itrax μXRF Core Scanning -- Volcanic Glass Geochemistry -- Grain-Size Analysis -- Results -- Visual Logging -- Grain-Size Profiles -- Correlation of Itrax XRF Profiles -- Comparison of Bulk Subunit Compositions Using Calibrated Itrax μXRF Data -- Grain Specific Geochemistry Within Subunits -- Discussion. , Presence and Correlation of Subunits -- Itrax Comparison of Bulk Subunit Heterogeneities -- Variations in Glass (Grain-Scale) Geochemistry -- Implications for Volcanic Island Landslides and Tsunamigenesis -- Conclusions -- Appendix -- References -- Chapter-6 -- An Empirical Assessment of Variable Water Content and Grain-Size on X-Ray Fluorescence Core-Scanning Measurements of Deep Sea Sediments -- Introduction -- Materials and Methods -- Sediment Material -- XRF-Core Scanning -- Conventional WD-XRF -- Grain-Size -- Multi-Sensor Core Logger Data -- Water Content -- Results -- Correlation of Itrax-Scan Data with Conventional WD-XRF -- Correlation of Water Content Adjusted Itrax-Scan Data with Conventional WD-XRF -- Discussion -- Water Effects -- Grain-Size and Surface Roughness -- Conclusions -- References -- Part II -- Lake and River Studies -- Chapter-7 -- Micro-XRF Core Scanning in Palaeolimnology: Recent Developments -- Introduction -- Interpretation of XRF Scanning Data from Lake Sediments -- Influence of Lake Sediment Composition on Element Detection and Interpretation -- Catchment Erosion Proxies -- Proxies for In-Lake Processes -- Sediment Characterisation -- Applications of µXRF Scanning -- Flood Histories -- Identifying the Location of Tephra Layers -- Varved Sequences -- Climate Variability Inferred from µXRF Scanning of Lake Sediments -- Long Records of Climate Change -- Last Glacial-Interglacial Transition and Holocene -- Records of Human Activity -- Summary and Conclusions -- References -- Chapter-8 -- Micro-XRF Applications in Fluvial Sedimentary Environments of Britain and Ireland: Progress and Prospects -- Introduction -- Attributes and Potential of Fluvial Sediment Archives for Micro-XRF Analysis -- Attributes -- Potential -- Materials and Methods -- Case Studies -- Flood Reconstruction Using Itrax XRF Profiles -- Introduction. , Geochemical Grain Size Proxies: Zr/Rb and Zr/Ti -- The Upper Severn Catchment -- Sediment Grain-Sizes and Geochemistry -- Flood Record Derived from Micro-XRF Analysis -- Contaminant Profiling and Provenance Using Itrax XRF -- Introduction -- The Tidally Influenced Lower Dyfi -- Geochemical Profiles -- Sediment Provenance -- Itrax Inferred Patterns of Sand Floodplain Development -- Introduction -- Floodplain of the Lower Boyne Valley, Ireland -- Floodplain Composition -- Role of XRF Data for Floodplain Partitioning -- Discussion: Progress and Prospects -- Progress -- Prospects -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter-9 -- Estimation of Biogenic Silica Concentrations Using Scanning XRF: Insights from Studies of Lake Malawi Sediments -- Introduction -- Methods -- Discussion -- Summary and Conclusions -- References -- Chapter-10 -- Optimization of Itrax Core Scanner Protocols for the Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Finely Laminated Sediment: A Case Study of Lacustrine Varved Sediment from the High Arctic -- Introduction -- Analytical Attributes -- Spatial Resolution: Optical and Radiographic Image Acquisition -- Time Acquisition: Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis -- Effects of Concentration and Detectability of Chemical Elements on the Reproducibility of μ-XRF Analyses -- Visual Estimation of Reproducibility -- Statistical Estimation of Reproducibility -- Effects of Sample Topographical Irregularities on μ-XRF Results at High Resolution -- Methodological Synthesis for Maximizing Data Robustness of the Itrax Core Scanner for Analysis of Thin Laminations -- Case Study: High-Resolution µ-XRF Analysis for Estimation of Grain-Size Variability and Varve Counts in Fine Clastic Varved Sediment from Cape Bounty Lake, Canadian High Arctic -- Estimation of Grain-Size Variability: Development of Paleohydrological Indicators. , Recommendations and Steps to Estimate Grain Size from µ-XRF Data for use as Paleohydrological Indica -- Estimate of Varve Counts -- Future Direction: Development of Climate Proxies -- Summary -- References -- Chapter-11 -- Investigating the Use of Scanning X-Ray Fluorescence to Locate Cryptotephra in Minerogenic Lacustrine Sediment: Experimental Results -- Introduction -- Methods -- Experimental Design -- Application: Sverigedalsvatn Core SVP-207 -- Results -- Background Elemental Variations -- Synthetic Cores Spiked with Rhyolitic Tephra (R1 and R2) -- Synthetic Cores Spiked with Basaltic Tephra (B1 and B2) -- Sverigedalsvatn Core SVP-207 -- Discussion -- Elemental Signal of Tephra in Synthetic Cores -- Elemental Signal of Tephra in Sverigedalsvatn Core SVP-207 -- Application and Limitations of Scanning XRF to Locate Cryptotephra in Sediment Profiles -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter-12 -- Combined µ-XRF and Microfacies Techniques for Lake Sediment Analyses -- Introduction -- Study Site and Sediments -- Materials and Methods -- Sample Collection and Preparation -- Micro X-ray Fluorescence (µ-XRF) Spectrometry -- Inductively Coupled-Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) -- Results -- Repeatability of the µ-XRF Measurements -- Scanner Resolution -- Sediment Microfacies in µ-XRF Data -- Intra-lamina Variability -- Varve Counting in µ-XRF Records -- µ-XRF and ICP-MS Comparison -- Discussion -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter-13 -- Experiences with XRF-Scanning of Long Sediment Records -- Introduction -- Site Characterization -- Laguna Potrok Aike -- Lake El'gygytgyn -- Material -- Sediment Cores -- Lithology -- Methods -- Results and Discussion -- Laguna Potrok Aike -- Lake El'gygytgyn -- Conclusions -- References -- Chapter-14. , Approaches to Water Content Correction and Calibration for µXRF Core Scanning: Comparing X-ray Scattering with Simple Regression of Elemental Concentrations.