Rapid identification of dolomite using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR): A fast method for identifying Heinrich events in IODP Site U1308

This study demonstrates that Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometry (FTIR) provides a quick and relatively inexpensive method for identifying and quantifying dolomite in deep marine sediments. FTIR is used to determine concentrations of dolomite in the top 29 m of sediments recovered at IODP Site U1308. Some of these dolomite peaks can be reliably correlated with Heinrich Events H1 through H6, thus FTIR appears to provide a fast and reliable method for identifying Heinrich Events in deep-sea sediments. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.