Steps towards Reliable Data - Basic Tools and Concepts

Uncertainties in geochemical data can have many different sources. The previous workshop sections focused on the definitions of data reliability, uncertainties and errors, and how these can be calculated. In this part of the workshop, we will discuss how (hidden) uncertainties in data and errors in geochemical analyses can be detected during data handling, what measures help to minimize uncertainties and errors, and how to deal with the errors that arise to obtain data with high reliability. Simple but effective tools will be presented using a sample snow data set.