2G Analysing geochemical data

Toil< 2.3 Correlation nutriixs for die das in Tible 2.2

(a) Peanva freduil-aomtnt tcffuirt! cf twrtlatUn
AO F Mr Mj Ca Ni,
SA TA , A .O O O 0 FA Sum
Si 1.0
O, 4*
T. - 30 I.O
O,
Al 0.33
- W
0.4 14
jO
Fe 0.74- 418
0.3 00
02 1.0
A
M 0.78*
- 593
0.6 24
CL 14)
0.8 1.0
n
M 0.42- 410
.78 09I
04 79
0.9 00
0.1 1.3
g
Ci 0.18)7 -0 13
0S4 054 74
C. 02
0.6 30
0.8 1X
O
Nl 5862
- - J7 56
0.4 82
0. - 41 - 51 - 03 1.0
.O
Kf 0.06
41. -0.16 - 93 -256 -0.30 -0.21 -0.18 10
C. 1X
i
F - 45 0.52
0.1 0.17
0.5 0.67
07 43.5
C, 0.S1
0.7 0.67
O. - 01 -O I
AI
S 0,79
0.2 - 039 04
0.0 - 85 - 67. 79
-0.1 - 7J 0.05
0.3 -0.44 MO
0.0 1,005
T. 07 0.13 94 0.1) 0.10 ICO 0,03 16 0X4 585 0
1 97 2 00 08 61 3 31
(b) Sptaman rtxi etfffficrJ if ({rrtAiIi'Hi
AO F M Ml Ca Ni
SA TA , A nO O O p Kp PA Sum
S 1.0
O 00
,
Ti 0- 1.0
O
M 0.844
-o.7tnt 000
0.5 1.0
.
F - 131
0.8 00
0.3 1.0
c,
M 0.795 06 750
0.4 71
0.1 00
0.8 l/
n
M U
- 609
5.S 17
0.5 58
0.8 M
0.7 1.0
rC 0.9U7- 731
MS 81
0.5 B1
0.8 22
0.7 00
0,9 1.0
i^. 0.455
-oxosa 92
- 31
04 74
- - 22 32
- 00
- 12
o
K 0.4 -0.1 -86 -0.2 -0.31 -0.1 -0.2 )0
0.0 1
fi
P 70
- 0.4
037 0.1
0. 0.6
0.8 0.52
0.6 0.5
0,8 0.6
0.7 -053 - 40 1X
A
S 0.826 0.2 -46 W4
0.1 -04 - 45 -33 -70 045
02 0.35
0.0 -600 1.000
ur 15) 0.2 21 02 0.18 0.1 0.1 52 54 0.0 3
a C5 2 34 96 62 70 2 3 160

The particular advantages of the Spearman rink correlation coefficient are: (1) they alone arc
applicable to Tanked data; and (2) they arc superior to the procuct- momcnc cotrclation cceffident
when applied to populations that are nor normally distributed and/or include outliers. A farther
advantage is that the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rj is speedy to calculate and may be
used as a qukk approximation foe the product moment correlation coefficient (/).

2.3.5 Correlation matrices

Frequently a geccbemical dau-scc will have as many as 30 variables. This means that there are 435
possible scatter diagrams that can be drawn for this one data-set. It has been traditional, therefore, to
calculate the correlation coefficient for each pair of variables and present the data as a matrix (see
Tabic 2.3). The correlation matrix may be used as an end in itself frCrr. which significant correlations
may be identified, but it may also be the prelude to mote sophisticated statistical techniques. The
calculation cf a correlation matrix will frequently be the initial step in the examination of a
geochemical data-set It is traditionally used to identify the most highly correlated element pairs prior
to plotting die data on conventional scatter diagrams (sec Section 3.3.2). Examples of die use of the
Pearson product- momcnt coefficient of correlation arc four.d in Beach and Tamey (1978), where