Multielemental X-ray maps collected by a remote scanning system
of the electron beam are processed by a dedicated software program
performing accurate modal determination of geological samples.
The classification of different mineral phases is based on
elemental concentrations. The software program Petromod loads
the maps into a database and computes a matrix consisting of
numerical values proportional to the elemental concentrations.
After an initial calibration, the program can perform the chemical
composition calculated on the basis of a fixed number of oxygens
for a selected area. In this way, it is possible to identify
all the mineral phases occurring in the sample. Up to three
elements can be selected to calculate the modal percentage of
the identified mineral. An automated routine scans the whole
set of maps and assigns each pixel that satisfies the imposed
requirements to the selected phase. Repeating this procedure
for every mineral phase occurring in the mapped area, a modal
distribution of the rock-forming minerals can be performed.
The final output consists of a digitized image, which can be
further analyzed by common image analysis software, and a table
containing the calculated modal percentages. The method is here
applied to a volcanic and a metamorphic rock sample.