Natural Gamma Radiation-derived K, U and Th contents of marine sediments obtained during IODP Expeditions 359, 360, 361, 362 and 363 with DV JOIDES Resolution
Creator(s):
De Vleeschouwer, David
Abstract:
During International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions, shipboard-generated data provide the first insights into the cored sequences. The natural gamma radiation (NGR) of the recovered material, for example, is routinely measured on the ocean drilling research vessel DV JOIDES Resolution. At present, only total NGR counts are readily available as shipboard data, although full NGR spectra (counts as a function of gamma-ray energy level) are produced and archived. These spectra contain unexploited information, as one can estimate the sedimentary contents of potassium (K), thorium (Th), and uranium (U) from the characteristic gamma-ray energies of isotopes in the 40K, 232Th, and 238U radioactive decay series. Dunlea et al. [2013] quantified K, Th and U contents in sediment from the South Pacific Gyre by integrating counts over specific energy levels of the NGR spectrum. However, the algorithm used in their study is unavailable to the wider scientific community due to commercial proprietary reasons. Here, we present a new MATLAB algorithm for the quantification of NGR spectra that is transparent and accessible to future NGR users. We demonstrate the algorithm’s performance by comparing its results to shore-based inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma-emission spectrometry (ICP-ES), and quantitative wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses. Samples for these comparisons come from eleven sites (U1341, U1343, U1366, U1367, U1368, U1369, U1414, U1428, U1429, U1430, U1463) cored in two oceans during five expeditions. In short, our algorithm rapidly produces detailed high-quality information on sediment properties during IODP expeditions at no extra cost. Data for IODP Expeditions 317, 318, 320-324, 327, 329, 330, 334, 336, 339-342, 344-346, 349-356 can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1594/IEDA/100668. The Vocatio Foundation provided funding through a scholarship to David De Vleeschouwer, laureate in the 2016 promotion. This work also benefited from funding through European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator grant “EARTHSEQUENCING” (grant agreement 617462), awarded to Heiko Pälike.
How to cite this dataset:
De Vleeschouwer, D., 2018. Natural Gamma Radiation-derived K, U and Th contents of marine sediments obtained during IODP Expeditions 359, 360, 361, 362 and 363 with DV JOIDES Resolution, Version 1.0. Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance (IEDA).
https://doi.org/10.1594/IEDA/111196. Accessed 2024-04-25.
DOI Creation Date:
2018-08-20
Related
Publication(s):
De Vleeschouwer, D., Dunlea, A. G., Auer, G., Anderson, C. H., Brumsack, H., de Loach, A., Gurnis, M. C., Huh, Y., Ishiwa, T., Jang, K., Kominz, M. A., März, C., Schnetger, B., Murray, R. W., Pälike, H. and Expedition 356 shipboard scientists, (2017), "Quantifying K, U, and Th contents of marine sediments using shipboard natural gamma radiation spectra measured on DV JOIDES Resolution". Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 18.
License:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States [CC-BY-NC-SA-3.0]
Funding source(s):
European Research Council Consolidator grant “EARTHSEQUENCING”: 617462
Keyword(s):
Coverage Scope: Global
User Contributed Keyword(s):
iodp (program),
natural gamma radiation (subject),
potassium (constituent),
thorium (constituent),
uranium (constituent),
R/V JOIDES Resolution (platform),
IODP Leg 359 (cruise),
IODP Leg 360 (cruise),
IODP Leg 361 (cruise),
IODP Leg 362 (cruise),
IODP Leg 363 (cruise)
Data Available On:
2018-08-21