An Outline of GEOCAPS, a Geochemical Data Analysis Program System in BASIC

Abstract

GEOCAPS (Geochemical Data Analysis Program System) is a BASIC program system for interactive data-processing mainly of chemical analysis with graphic plotters. The system comprises three groups of programs: a) for general chemical data including related two-dimensional digital data, b) for chemical analysis of igneous rocks especially with CIPW normative calculation, and c) for water analysis data. Each group is composed of 10 to 12 programs such as: 1) creating the data-files, 2) inputting and editing data, 3) printing the data (with the normative calculation), 4) arithmetic operating among components and making tables of the results, 5) calculating mean values and standard deviations, 6) calculating correlation coefficients, 7) plotting histograms, 8) plotting X-Y correlation diagrams, 9) plotting multi-dimensional X-Y correlation diagrams, 10) plotting triangular or tetragonal diagrams, 11) plotting key diagrams (for water analysis), and 12) plotting hexa diagrams (do.) .
Following functions of this system are especially useful for the processes of geochemical purposes: The data can be sorted every time in a quick way and also be re-arranged into their original order, if necessary. They are picked out for processing by means of classification codes defined by the user on any four factors of them. Data can be calculated to make their total into 100 percent and also be converted into molecular numbers, or equivalents in case of water analysis. Values of any components are, of course, able to be processed. Total Fe₂O³ and total FeO are treated as if they are in one component in case that both of them are found in the component-file. Results of normative calculation including the differentiation index (D.I.) can be processed. Interactive arithmetic operations can easily be held among values of all the components mentioned above in every data-processing program without any modifications of the program in segments. Because the user gives the formulas as string data in performing instead that he stops the execution to edit the program statements.