IAEA interlaboratory comparative geothermal water analysis program

The chemical composition of three samples of geothermal waters from New Zealand was determined by 22 laboratories, including those participating in the coordinated research programme for Latin America on ''The application of isotope and geochemical techniques in geothermal exploration''. The results of this intercomparison are presented and discussed. As expected, the results show that some laboratories have the capacity to produce high quality chemical analyses, while others must improve their performance considerably in order to obtain results which can be used for the geochemical exploration of geothermal areas. To a large degree, however, it is up to individual laboratories to assess performances and decide on possible avenues of improvement. (author). 4 refs, 5 figs, 5 tabs