Principal filter analysis for luminescence excitation‐emission data

Abstract

A new method (termed Principal Filter Analysis (PFA)) for analysing large time series of luminescence excitation‐emission matrices (EEMs) is proposed, based on the idea of identifying ‘filters’ that detect time periods where interesting variations in the EEMs occur. A mathematical exposition of the technique is supplied, followed by a discusion of how it may be implemented in practice. The method is applied to EEMs taken from a stalagmite in Crag Cave, W. Ireland resulting in three distinct time periods of luminescence properties being identified.