Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology

The analytical technologies that underpin sedimentary petrology continue to innovate as the focus of research has shifted from the descriptive to considerations of physical, chemical, and biological processes. Recent advances in chemical imaging have empowered workers with cross-functional tools to elucidate the processes of deposition, lithification, and diagenesis. For example:

• 自动化和高速分析使化学映射能够成为岩石学工作流程的常规部分，包括数学纹理分析

• Chemical mapping is data-rich with thousands or millions of data points, allowing big-data analysis and the transformation of images into datasets that can be subjected to statistical analysis

• 数据驱动的分类方法,如cluster analysis and lithotyping, can remove subjectivity and allow for the comparison of datasets

• Chemical and mineral mapping can make hidden structures visible and provide information on chemical properties of sedimentary and biological structures