Investigation of μ-XRF Technology for Identifying Soft Sediment Deformation Structures in the South China Coastal Area
HUANG Ping
ZENG Junyue
LIN Jiechun
CHEN Zhen
LIANG Hao
MA Junqiang
Abstract：The analysis of soft-sediment deformation structures is a crucial approach in paleoseismic studies.In re-cent years,the phenomenon of soft-sediment deformation in the Quaternary basins along the South China coast has garnered increasing attention.However,these soft-sediment deformation structures are often revealed through core samples,which have limited visibility and are susceptible to interference.Therefore,there is an urgent need for an appropriate method to identify the macroscopic structures and detailed characteristics of soft-sediment deformation.Micro-X-ray fluorescence(μ-XRF)mapping technology is capable of identifying the types and distribution charac-teristics of elements within samples,making it a direct and effective means for analyzing soft-sediment deformation structures in core samples.Although its application is still in its infancy,it merits further exploration.This study conducts an in-depth analysis of soft-sediment deformation structures in the late Pleistocene mottled clay layers of the South China coastal region,discusses the major elements that can effectively indicate such structures,and es-tablishes a μ-XRF analytical method suitable for soft-sediment deformation in the late Quaternary.The results indi-cate that the Fe element in the study area is a relatively stable and effective indicator for identifying soft-sediment deformation,with other elements playing a supportive role in discrimination.Furthermore,the pretreatment meth-od using epoxy resin to cure and polish samples significantly enhances the scanning quality of μ-XRF.This μ-XRF mapping analysis method can effectively assist in the macroscopic identification of soft-sediment deformation,re-veal its deformation details,and provide micro-scale technical support for the study of regional tectonical stability.
Keywords：μ-XRFSoft-sediment deformationLate QuaternarySouth China coastalMottled clay
Publication Date：2025-12-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-12-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：8( 67-74 )