Organic content and X-ray density of lacustrine sediments from Hausberg Tarn, Mount Kenya

Abstract

The variations in the organic content of a sediment core from a pro-glacial lake, Hausberg Tarn, located on the NW slope of Mount Kenya has been determined. Two types of methods for determining organic content were compared using sediments from the same core. One type was direct measurement of organic carbon using a carbon analyser and the other was X-ray analysis. The results show that both techniques reveal changes in organic content, which are believed to reflect changes in the glacier size during the last 5700 years. However, the X-ray technique discloses a much more detailed view of the changes in the environment. In addition, the method is considerably faster than the methods of determining organic carbon content or weight loss on ignition.