An integrated pelagic carbonate multi-proxy study using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF): Maastrichtian strata from the Bottaccione Gorge, Gubbio, Italy

Matthias Sinnesael; Niels J. de Winter; Christophe Snoeck; Alessandro Montanari; Philippe Claeys

doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.010

An integrated pelagic carbonate multi-proxy study using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF): Maastrichtian strata from the Bottaccione Gorge, Gubbio, Italy

Matthias Sinnesael^*, Niels J. de Winter, Christophe Snoeck, Alessandro Montanari, Philippe Claeys

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Pelagic carbonate sections constitute common archives for paleoclimatological and stratigraphical research. This study evaluates the use of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) measurements on pelagic carbonates and applies the method to the well-studied latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section from Gubbio, Italy. A calibration with carbonate reference materials makes it possible to acquire absolute elemental concentrations, and allows for comparison with results from previous geochemical studies, which used more expensive and time consuming conventional techniques, such as neutron activation or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). With adequate measurement strategies and careful calibration, pXRF measurements can be a reliable, non-destructive, cheap, fast and easy to use alternative to acquire multi-elemental concentration data (Ca, Fe, Mn, Sr) in pelagic carbonates. These pXRF elemental concentration data represent valuable additions to classical proxies such as magnetic susceptibility and calcium carbonate content used in the study of pelagic carbonates. Furthermore, the potential of the portable pXRF method for applications in cyclostratigraphical (e.g. using Fe-concentrations) and chemostratigraphical (e.g. using Mn and Sr concentrations) investigations is demonstrated. A strong covariation between the measured Sr concentration profile obtained by pXRF and the existing δ¹⁸O record, in combination with micro-XRF mapping, demonstrated the sampling of calcite veins in some of the samples. The first ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope measurements for the latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section seem to be little affected by this sampling effect.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	20-32
Number of pages	13
Journal	Cretaceous Research
Volume	91
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.010
Publication status	Published - Nov 2018
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank Claudia Sosa-Montes de Oca for sharing the Mn (ICP-OES) and Sr (ICP-MS) data. This research is supported by the Association “ Le Montagne di San Francesco ” in Coldigioco, Italy. Matthias Sinnesael thanks the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) for the awarded PhD Fellowship (FWOTM782) and Niels J. de Winter thanks IWT for the awarded PhD Flanders Fellowship (IWT700-SB-141047). Dr. C. Snoeck is supported by Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) post-doctoral fellowship. Philippe Claeys thanks the FWO-Hercules foundation for financing the XRF analytical platform at the VUB, and the VUB strategic research funding. We thank the handling editor, Eduardo Koutsoukos, Nicolas Thibault and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments which helped to improve this manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Funding

We thank Claudia Sosa-Montes de Oca for sharing the Mn (ICP-OES) and Sr (ICP-MS) data. This research is supported by the Association “ Le Montagne di San Francesco ” in Coldigioco, Italy. Matthias Sinnesael thanks the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) for the awarded PhD Fellowship (FWOTM782) and Niels J. de Winter thanks IWT for the awarded PhD Flanders Fellowship (IWT700-SB-141047). Dr. C. Snoeck is supported by Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) post-doctoral fellowship. Philippe Claeys thanks the FWO-Hercules foundation for financing the XRF analytical platform at the VUB, and the VUB strategic research funding. We thank the handling editor, Eduardo Koutsoukos, Nicolas Thibault and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments which helped to improve this manuscript.

Keywords

Chemostratigraphy
Cyclostratigraphy
Gubbio
K-Pg boundary
Maastrichtian
Pelagic carbonates
Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF)

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@article{6c33075c7f62411c9876b945ec6edae4,

title = "An integrated pelagic carbonate multi-proxy study using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF): Maastrichtian strata from the Bottaccione Gorge, Gubbio, Italy",

abstract = "Pelagic carbonate sections constitute common archives for paleoclimatological and stratigraphical research. This study evaluates the use of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) measurements on pelagic carbonates and applies the method to the well-studied latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section from Gubbio, Italy. A calibration with carbonate reference materials makes it possible to acquire absolute elemental concentrations, and allows for comparison with results from previous geochemical studies, which used more expensive and time consuming conventional techniques, such as neutron activation or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). With adequate measurement strategies and careful calibration, pXRF measurements can be a reliable, non-destructive, cheap, fast and easy to use alternative to acquire multi-elemental concentration data (Ca, Fe, Mn, Sr) in pelagic carbonates. These pXRF elemental concentration data represent valuable additions to classical proxies such as magnetic susceptibility and calcium carbonate content used in the study of pelagic carbonates. Furthermore, the potential of the portable pXRF method for applications in cyclostratigraphical (e.g. using Fe-concentrations) and chemostratigraphical (e.g. using Mn and Sr concentrations) investigations is demonstrated. A strong covariation between the measured Sr concentration profile obtained by pXRF and the existing δ18O record, in combination with micro-XRF mapping, demonstrated the sampling of calcite veins in some of the samples. The first 87Sr/86Sr isotope measurements for the latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section seem to be little affected by this sampling effect.",

keywords = "Chemostratigraphy, Cyclostratigraphy, Gubbio, K-Pg boundary, Maastrichtian, Pelagic carbonates, Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF)",

author = "Matthias Sinnesael and \{de Winter\}, \{Niels J.\} and Christophe Snoeck and Alessandro Montanari and Philippe Claeys",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Claudia Sosa-Montes de Oca for sharing the Mn (ICP-OES) and Sr (ICP-MS) data. This research is supported by the Association “ Le Montagne di San Francesco ” in Coldigioco, Italy. Matthias Sinnesael thanks the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) for the awarded PhD Fellowship (FWOTM782) and Niels J. de Winter thanks IWT for the awarded PhD Flanders Fellowship (IWT700-SB-141047). Dr. C. Snoeck is supported by Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) post-doctoral fellowship. Philippe Claeys thanks the FWO-Hercules foundation for financing the XRF analytical platform at the VUB, and the VUB strategic research funding. We thank the handling editor, Eduardo Koutsoukos, Nicolas Thibault and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments which helped to improve this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2018",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.010",

language = "English",

volume = "91",

pages = "20--32",

journal = "Cretaceous Research",

issn = "0195-6671",

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AU - de Winter, Niels J.

AU - Snoeck, Christophe

AU - Montanari, Alessandro

AU - Claeys, Philippe

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Claudia Sosa-Montes de Oca for sharing the Mn (ICP-OES) and Sr (ICP-MS) data. This research is supported by the Association “ Le Montagne di San Francesco ” in Coldigioco, Italy. Matthias Sinnesael thanks the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) for the awarded PhD Fellowship (FWOTM782) and Niels J. de Winter thanks IWT for the awarded PhD Flanders Fellowship (IWT700-SB-141047). Dr. C. Snoeck is supported by Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) post-doctoral fellowship. Philippe Claeys thanks the FWO-Hercules foundation for financing the XRF analytical platform at the VUB, and the VUB strategic research funding. We thank the handling editor, Eduardo Koutsoukos, Nicolas Thibault and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments which helped to improve this manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2018/11

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N2 - Pelagic carbonate sections constitute common archives for paleoclimatological and stratigraphical research. This study evaluates the use of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) measurements on pelagic carbonates and applies the method to the well-studied latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section from Gubbio, Italy. A calibration with carbonate reference materials makes it possible to acquire absolute elemental concentrations, and allows for comparison with results from previous geochemical studies, which used more expensive and time consuming conventional techniques, such as neutron activation or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). With adequate measurement strategies and careful calibration, pXRF measurements can be a reliable, non-destructive, cheap, fast and easy to use alternative to acquire multi-elemental concentration data (Ca, Fe, Mn, Sr) in pelagic carbonates. These pXRF elemental concentration data represent valuable additions to classical proxies such as magnetic susceptibility and calcium carbonate content used in the study of pelagic carbonates. Furthermore, the potential of the portable pXRF method for applications in cyclostratigraphical (e.g. using Fe-concentrations) and chemostratigraphical (e.g. using Mn and Sr concentrations) investigations is demonstrated. A strong covariation between the measured Sr concentration profile obtained by pXRF and the existing δ18O record, in combination with micro-XRF mapping, demonstrated the sampling of calcite veins in some of the samples. The first 87Sr/86Sr isotope measurements for the latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section seem to be little affected by this sampling effect.

AB - Pelagic carbonate sections constitute common archives for paleoclimatological and stratigraphical research. This study evaluates the use of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) measurements on pelagic carbonates and applies the method to the well-studied latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section from Gubbio, Italy. A calibration with carbonate reference materials makes it possible to acquire absolute elemental concentrations, and allows for comparison with results from previous geochemical studies, which used more expensive and time consuming conventional techniques, such as neutron activation or Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). With adequate measurement strategies and careful calibration, pXRF measurements can be a reliable, non-destructive, cheap, fast and easy to use alternative to acquire multi-elemental concentration data (Ca, Fe, Mn, Sr) in pelagic carbonates. These pXRF elemental concentration data represent valuable additions to classical proxies such as magnetic susceptibility and calcium carbonate content used in the study of pelagic carbonates. Furthermore, the potential of the portable pXRF method for applications in cyclostratigraphical (e.g. using Fe-concentrations) and chemostratigraphical (e.g. using Mn and Sr concentrations) investigations is demonstrated. A strong covariation between the measured Sr concentration profile obtained by pXRF and the existing δ18O record, in combination with micro-XRF mapping, demonstrated the sampling of calcite veins in some of the samples. The first 87Sr/86Sr isotope measurements for the latest Maastrichtian in the Bottaccione Gorge section seem to be little affected by this sampling effect.

KW - Chemostratigraphy

KW - Cyclostratigraphy

KW - Gubbio

KW - K-Pg boundary

KW - Maastrichtian

KW - Pelagic carbonates

KW - Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF)

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DO - 10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.010

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85047627551

SN - 0195-6671

VL - 91

SP - 20

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JO - Cretaceous Research

JF - Cretaceous Research

ER -

An integrated pelagic carbonate multi-proxy study using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF): Maastrichtian strata from the Bottaccione Gorge, Gubbio, Italy

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

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