Research Article| October 01, 1987 Scanning electron microscope method for rock-varnish dating Charles D. Harrington; Charles D. Harrington 1Earth and Space Sciences Division, MS D462, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar John W. Whitney John W. Whitney 2U.S. Geological Survey, MS 913, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Charles D. Harrington 1Earth and Space Sciences Division, MS D462, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 John W. Whitney 2U.S. Geological Survey, MS 913, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1987) 15 (10): 967–970. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<967:SEMMFR>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Charles D. Harrington, John W. Whitney; Scanning electron microscope method for rock-varnish dating. Geology 1987;; 15 (10): 967–970. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<967:SEMMFR>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Rock-varnish coatings on cobbles from geomorphic surfaces and exposed deposits in arid environments are an effective medium for dating over a time range of several thousand to a few million years. A new analytical method for dating of rock varnish is presented wherein the varnish cation ratio (VCR) is determined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDAX).The experimental SEM method is a nondestructive technique that has several potential advantages over the original method of analysis, described by R. I. Dorn, that uses particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) of varnish scraped from rock surfaces. The SEM method can potentially eliminate analytical errors due to contamination from rock substrate because variations in varnish thickness and irregularities on the substrate surface are examined before cation ratios are determined. Because varnish surfaces remain intact, varnish sites that yield anomalous results may be reanalyzed or verified. In addition, the general accessibility of scanning electron microscopes will make rock-varnish dating more widely available for use in Quaternary studies.Cation ratios were calculated for rock varnish from Española Basin, New Mexico, and the Yucca Mountain region, Nevada, and were used to construct rock-varnish dating curves for these areas. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Harrington et al. (1987) studied this question.