PIXE ANALYSIS OF SEDIMENTS AFFECTED BY THE DECEMBER 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI

Abstract

The aim of this project is to apply particle induced X-ray emission analysis for the assessment of elemental variations in sediment samples collected after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami event in Thailand. Samples were collected in June 2007 at two near-shore locations (C-1 and C-2) along the east coast of Phuket Island. The C-1 and C-2 sites received moderate and low impacts from the tsunami, respectively. For each location, sediment cores of 0.75m were collected. Sediment samples extracted from the cores were dried to constant weight at 60°C. All samples were prepared as a fine homogeneous powder by grinding and passing through a 125 µm sieve. Pellets were pressed from these samples. It was found by comparison with a suite of standard soils and sediments that the Si, Al and K contents of these moderate and low-impact Tsunami effected sediment samples are low by a factor of about two. Chlorine was detected at up to about 20000 ppm in both series with suggestions of a decrease at greater depth in the cores. Iron was detected in all samples, and was found at higher concentration in the samples from the C-1 site with a trend to higher concentration at greater depth. By contrast the two shallow C-2 samples showed a higher concentration than the deeper samples. Titanium was detected at the 1000–2000 ppm level in both series with no discernable depth trends.