Abstract
Counts and measurements of annually laminated sediments are often time consuming and subjective. An automated and computerized method to accelerate the generation of varve data and to make these data more comprehensible is required. The approach taken here is to digitize thin sections of varved lacustrine sediments of different composition and mean lamination thickness. Density variations within an area scan of the digitized image are then measured. The data obtained provide peaks and troughs of light transmission corresponding to the pale and dark alternating of laminae. After comparing these results with microscopic varve measurements it is clear that light transmission data alone do not allow the counting of varves. The composite nature of laminations causes high frequency noise which is hard to distinguish from thin varves without additional microscopic information.