Several kilometers of drill core are sometimes obtained when the geology of a particular area is explored. The cores are visually inspected and a limited number of samples are taken for laboratory analysis. Accurate chemical analyses are usually performed on only a small number of core sections because of the expense involved. A chemical profile along the core may provide useful information not available by any other means. This information may be of primary value for geological investigations or it may provide an additional basis for selecting samples for detailed laboratory analyses.