AbstractX-ray computed tomography augmented by elemental microanalysis has been used to characterize two drill cores from the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, west Cumbria, UK. Information about the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of mineral phases was obtained non-destructively, and regions of interest were extracted for thin sectioning and elemental analysis. This revealed the presence of pyrite and other iron- and iron-titanium-bearing minerals. X-ray computed tomography is a very useful tool for 3D visualization, but the limitations of the tomography system used made it difficult to distinguish between regions with similar compositions, such as the different layers within the calcite veins. Methods by which these limitations might be overcome are briefly discussed.
Three-dimensional imaging of inhomogeneous lithologies using X-ray computed tomography: characterization of drill core from the Borrowdale Volcanic Group