Philippine Journal of Science
152 (1): 485-499, February 2023
ISSN 0031 – 7683
Date Received: 28 Jun 2022

Evaluation of Geochemical Signature in Soil Sampled
from a 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami-stricken Region in Aceh Province
Located in the Western Part of Indonesia Using Scanning Electron
Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) Spectroscopy
and Its Compatibility with X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Measurement

R. Mitaphonna1, M. Ramli2, N. Ismail3,4, and N. Idris3,4*

1Graduate School of Mathematics and Applied Sciences,
Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111 Indonesia
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,
Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111 Indonesia
3Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,
Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111 Indonesia
4Department of Geophysical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Universitas Syiah Kuala, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111 Indonesia

*Corresponding author: nasrullah.idris@unsyiah.ac.id

[Download]
Mitaphonna R et al. 2023. Evaluation of Geochemical Signature in Soil Sampled from a 2004 Indian Ocean
Tsunami-stricken Region in Aceh Province Located in the Western Part of Indonesia Using Scanning Electron
Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) Spectroscopy and Its Compatibility
with X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Measurement. Philipp J Sci 152(1): 485–499.
https://doi.org/10.56899/152.01.38

 

 

ABSTRACT

Chemical elements in soil samples collected from the area struck by the massive Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 Dec 2004, were identified using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) to find out potential candidates for the geochemical signature of the 2004 Indian Ocean giant tsunami. All tsunami-affected soils were collected from three areas in Aceh Province, Indonesia, the worst stricken region by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. SEM analysis showed that the damaged soil samples exhibited smaller particles and an inhomogeneous particle size distribution, which could be attributed to dissolved chemical element sedimentation after flooding by tsunami saltwater. Moreover, our findings revealed that the tsunami-affected soil samples contain many chemical elements – including marine signatures (Na, Ca, Mg, K, Al, and Si), terrestrial sources (Ti and Fe), and organic components (C and O). Organic elements detected as oxygen (O) dominated those impacted soils from the Aceh region, accounting for more than half of all samples, followed by carbon (C) and silica (Si). Furthermore, the concentration ratio of a series of elements in those impacted soils – namely, Si/Ti, Si/K, and Fe/Ti – demonstrates values that are exclusively different among the various elements evaluated in this work. The distinguishing difference in the concentration ratios of the elements matches well with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurement results. Therefore, the concentration ratios of the elements are good geochemical signatures of marine inundation for identifying the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami soil samples in Aceh Province, Indonesia.