SEARG offers a comprehensive sedimentary provenance laboratory capability designed to analyse material ranging from hand samples and core to drill cuttings (chippings). Our facilities and expertise allow us to characterise sediment composition, trace sediment pathways, and reconstruct source regions across complex geological systems.
We provide light mineral analysis of sedimentary thin sections, alongside heavy mineral separation using heavy liquids to concentrate provenance-sensitive minerals. Heavy mineral assemblages are identified using a combination of optical petrography on a state-of-the-art photomicroscope and SEM-BEX imaging, enabling high-resolution mineral identification and automated mineralogical mapping.
Where required, zircon grains are picked and mounted in-house and sent to partner laboratories for U–Pb geochronology using LA-ICP-MS, allowing robust constraints on sediment source ages. Combined with our in-house expertise in provenance interpretation, we can deliver integrated provenance reports tailored to individual projects.
In addition to sedimentary provenance workflows, SEARG also offers:
- Petrographic analysis of hard rock samples, particularly relevant to Critical Minerals studies
- Whole-rock geochemistry of sedimentary samples
- Access to additional geochronological and thermochronological analyses through our external analytical network
A full provenance workflow, including sample processing, mineral identification, and reporting, is typically £3000 per sample, with a reduced rate of £1000 per sample for members of the Joint Industry Project (JIP).
To discuss analytical options or cost a project, please contact Max Webb (Max.Webb@hw.ac.uk).
Southeast Asia Research Group 