The Oslo Graben hosts many shale formations from the Cambrian, Ordovician, and Silurian, e.g., the Alum Shale, Tøyen, Elnes, Arnestad, Nakholmen, Venstøp, and Solvik formations. Identifying these formations is important both for geotechnical and scientific purposes, but this can be difficult in small outcrops, cores, or individual samples.
We want to build a practical geochemical methodology for this purpose, using portable (handheld) XRF measurements. The project will extend previous data sets produced by the geotechnical community, with more precise stratigraphic control and with modern machine learning methods. The data should also be interpreted in terms of depositional environments.
Methods:
Fieldwork (sample collection with stratigraphic control), portable XRF measurements, and simple machine learning methods with existing software.
Background required:
Some (or all): stratigraphy, sedimentology, paleontology, geochemistry, and computer skills.
Goals:
Developing a fast, practical tool for shale identification. Contributing to the understanding of paleoenvironments across time and space in the Oslo Region.
Main supervisor:
Øyvind Hammer, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo.