QUANTITATIVE ELEMENTAL MICROANALYSIS OF ROUGH-SURFACED SOIL SPECIMENSIN THE SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPE USING A PEAK-TO-BACKGROUND METHOD

Scanning electron microscopy is very useful for morphological examinat ion of pedofeatures, Whenever quantitative elemental microanalysis of pedofeatures has been required during such morphological examinations, either thin sections or polished resin-impregnated blocks across simi lar pedofeatures have had to be prepared to satisfy the smooth flat su rface requirement of currently used electron microanalytical methods, This prerequisite has been accompanied by both conceptual and technica l problems, A direct method for obtaining quantitative elemental micro analyses of rough-surfaced soil specimens in the scanning electron mic roscope is examined here, This method is based on the use of peak-to-b ackground ratios in energy dispersive X-ray spectra, Analysis of a pyr ite standard at a range of geometrys of analysis and of the iron sulph ide minerals in two Holocene sediments indicates that the peak-to-back ground method can be used to obtain reliable quantitative elemental co mpositions of rough-surfaced soil specimens in the scanning electron m icroscope, Under ideal operating conditions (i.e., flat, polished spec imens), the peak-to-background method will not be as accurate as the c urrently used peak integral methods; however, the results here indicat e that the peak-to-background method has, for the analysis of soil, th e important advantage of being able to directly provide reliable quant itative elemental microanalyses of pedofeatures on rough-surfaced soil specimens in the scanning electron microscope.