Site Investigation and Laboratory Analysis

The following range of services is available from the Department of Geography and Planning:

Sampling

  • Field and laboratory-based description of unconsolidated sediments and soils from the entire range of terrestrial, coastal and marine environments.
  • Site survey and recovery of sediment and soil samples using the following equipment:
  • TGA
  • GEOTEK Scanning XRF
  • Various items of soil physical and hydrological testing equipment
  • Extendable Corers (limit of penetration approx. 10m):
    • Van Walt Percussion Corer (100mm, 60mm and 40mm diameter heads)
    • Stitz Piston Corer (60mm diameter)
    • Stitz Piston Corer (60mm diameter)
    • Edelman and Jarratt Augers
    • 1m Gouge Sampler (Eijkelkamp and Farnell type)
    • 0.5m Russian (Jowsey) Sampler
    • 1.0m Livingston Sampler
    • 0.3m Hiller Borer
    • 0.5m Gilson Sampler
    • 1.0m Mackereth Sampler
    • 0.5m Renberg-type Freeze Corer
    • 1.5m Projectile Freeze Corer
    • 0.5m Gravity Minicorer
  • Remote Corers from Boat (limit of operational depth approx. 30m):
    • 1.0m Mackereth Sampler
    • 0.5m Renberg-type Freeze Corer
    • 1.5m Projectile Freeze Corer
    • 0.5m Gravity Minicorer
    • Collection of both unfiltered and filtered (at 0.45 microns) water samples from lakes, rivers and coasts to a maximum depth of 15m.
    • Stratigraphic data presented in cross-section format using TSPPlus and DRILLOG software

 Site Survey

  • Rapid altitudinal and areal determinations using optical level or Total Station EDM
  • Profile determinations relative to reference altitudes using Total Station EDM.
  • Gridding of field areas for strategic site survey and sediment budget investigation (volume loss/gain).
  • Accurate site location (Total Station EDM) or location in remote sites (latitude and longitude) using Global Positioning System.
  • Topographic data expressed as cross-sections, contour plots, and/or three-dimensional surfaces.

 Granulometric Determinations

  • Field-based particle size distributions of gravel, cobbles and boulders using true nominal diameter techniques
  • Laboratory-based particle size distributions of sands to clay using dry- and wet-sieving techniques, Emery Tube, pipette and specific gravity methods, and Coulter Laser granulometry.
  • Results expressed in phi units (mm and micron equivalents given for Coulter Laser granulometry) using summary statistics of mean, sorting, skewness and kurtosis. Cumulative frequency curves and frequency histograms available on request.

 Palaeoecological Determinations

  • Sample digestion and heavy-liquid separation techniques for the analysis of fossil pollen assemblages on either an absolute or relative frequency basis using optical microscopy.
  • Sample digestion and sediment separation for the optical microscopic investigation of fossil diatom assemblages on a relative frequency basis.
  • Results from palaeoecological determinations expressed in graphical format using TILIA software, and raw data provided in EXCEL format.

 Geochemical Determinations

  • Organic carbon analysis by loss on ignition
  • Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy of sediment digests and extracts for the determination of elemental concentrations, e.g. iron, phosphate, nitrate, pollutants, heavy and trace metals
  • X-Ray Fluorescence analysis of bulk samples and size separations for the determination of elemental concentrations, pollutant and heavy metal monitoring.
  • Flow Injection Analysis of sediment digests and extracts for the determination of mineral acids, ammonia, heavy and trace metals.
  • Sequential Extraction of mineral phases for detailed diagenetic, geochemical and chronological investigations, e.g. organic, biogenic silica, carbonate, amorphous Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides, crystalline Fe-Mn oxides, and resistate minerals
  • A range of laboratory- and field-based equipment available for the determination of Environmental Magnetism in sediments, soils and whole core samples for use in the investigation of sediment processing and sediment provenance.
  • All results expressed graphically and data provided in EXCEL format.

 Radionuclide Determinations

  • Low-background gamma detectors for the determination of anthropogenic radioactive contamination, e.g. Sellafield, Chernobyl and weapons-testing radionuclides, and the dating of lake and saltmarsh sediments using 210Pb and 137Cs.
  • Low-background alpha detectors for the determination of U- and Th-series radionuclides for sediment provenance and yield investigations, water mass tracing and the dating of carbonate and lake sediments.
  • NaI detectors for low-resolution investigation of radionuclide contamination in coastal, lake and terrestrial cores.
  • Cost of radionuclide determinations includes full interpretation of data.

 Proven Applications

  • Review of geological, historical and geomorphic evidence for site investigation, i.e. long-term contextual information for sea-defence works etc.
  • Field survey and sediment coring for the acquisition of sedimentary data for long-term information on site history.
  • Analysis and interpretation of particle size distribution and loss on ignition data for the study of sediment processing, both natural background survey and environmental impact assessment.
  • Field survey using Total Station EDM for beach profiling
  • Determination and interpretation of geochemical and environmental magnetic data from bulk sediments and size extracts in the study of sediment provenance and environmental impact.

 Contact Information

Current costs of the services listed above, and CVs of relevant expertise in the Department of Geography and Planning are available from:

Professor A. J. Plater
Department of Geography and Planning

School of Environmental Sciences
University of Liverpool
Liverpool L69 7ZT
Telephone: +44 151 794 2843
Fax number: +44 151 794 2866