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Quantitative analysis of X-ray microtoCT images of geomaterials: Application to volcanic rocks


X-ray  computed  microtomography  is  an excellent tool for the three-dimensional analysis of rock microstructure.
  D. Zandomeneghi et. al. Geosphere; December 2010; v. 6; no. 6;

X-ray  computed  microtomography  is  an excellent tool for the three-dimensional analysis of rock microstructure. Digital images are acquired, visualized, and processed to identify  and  measure  several  discrete  features and constituents of rock samples, by means of  mathematical  algorithms  and  computational methods. In this paper, we present digital images of volcanic rocks collected with X-ray computed microtomography techniques and studied by means  of  a  software  library,  called  Pore3D,
custom-implemented at  the Elettra Synchro tron  Light  Laboratory  of  Trieste  (Italy). Using the Pore3D software, we analyzed the fabrics and we quantifi ed the characteristics of  the  main  constituents  (vesicles,  crystals, and  glassy  matrix)  of  four  different  types of  pyroclasts:  frothy  pumice,  tube  pumice, scoria , and “crystalline” scoria. We  identifi ed  the  distinctive  features  of these  different  types  of  volcanic  rocks.  The frothy  pumices  show  vesicles  that  coalesce in isotropic aggregates, especially toward the sample interior, while the scoriae have a low porosity and an abundance of isolated vesicles. In the “crystalline” scoria sample most
of  the  vesicle  separation  is  due  to  the  presence of crystals of different types, while the tube  pumice  shows  an  anisotropic  distribution of vesicles and crystals at the microscale, as  also  observed  at  the  scale  of  the  hand sample.  Quantitative  analysis  and  textural information  may  supply  an  additional  tool to investigate the eruptive processes and the
origin of volcanic rocks.

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Quantitative analysis of X-ray microtomography images of geomaterials:
Application to volcanic rocks.
D. Zandomeneghi, M. Voltolini, L. Mancini, F. Brun, D. Dreossi, and M. Polacci, doi link
Last Updated on Monday, 04 March 2024 12:22