SEDIMENTARY TEXTURES:

What are they?

Grain size
Grain shape
Particle Surface texture
Grain fabric

Grain Size
Depositional environment - subaerial, water depth, energy
Sediment maturity - source, weathering and transport processes
m to meters
Scales: logarithmic or geometric
1.Geometric scales:
Wentworth Scale:
each value 2x previous
range 0.0039 mm - 256 mm

4 Major Categories

clay
silt
sand
gravel

4 subcategorizes (very fine, fine, medium, coarse)

Wentworth

Grain Size
2. Logarithmic Scales
Phi Scale
convenient for plotting

Grain Size Data

6.0
5.0

phi = -log2 d
d=grain diameter (mm)

4.0

For example: 1 mm = 0
size

3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
-1.0
-2.0

0.5

1
1.5
diam. (mm)

2.5

Measuring Grain Size

caliper - large grains, consolidated rocks (gravel)

sieving - weigh samples (all sizes)
settling techniques: function of D & fluid viscosity (sand,
clay)
pipetting (clays)

V = CD 2

D=

V
C

V = settling velocity, C= constant, D = diameter

spherical particles settle faster than non-spherical
particles
grain size counters - lasers, etc.
Image analysis - digital

Coulter Counter

Electrical conductivity - resistance a function of number & size of

particles - larger particles, greater change in resistance

Graphical/Statistical Representation
of Grain Size
histogram and frequency curves- weight % of each size
Grain Size Data

14
12
10
weight

8
6
4
2
0
-2.0 -1.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
phi size

Graphical/Statistical Representation of
Grain Size
cumulative curve- cumulative weight percent (frequency) vs. size.
shape is independent of sieve interval
linear or log probability scale
100

cumulative weight percent

well
sorted

80

poorly
sorted

60
40
20

arithmetic scale

0
-2 -1
coarse

1 2 3
phi size

5 6
fine

Grain Size Distribution

cumulative weight percent

mode - most frequently occurring grain size

steepest point on the cumulative curve (inflection)
median size - midpoint of grain size distribution (ie., 50th
percentile)
mean size - average
approximation - averaging of selected percentiles from
the cumulative curve (e.g.,16%, 50%, 84%)
100
Mz = ( 16 + 50 + 84 ) / 3
well
80

sorted

poorly
sorted

1 2 3
phi size

60
40
20
0
-2

arithmetic scale

-1

Size Sorting
measure of the range of grain sizes, and the magnitude and spread of
grain sizes
Standard deviation (s.d.) - mathematical expression of sorting
68% of the grain size values lies within plus or minus one s.d. of the
mean size

i = ( 84 - 16) / 4 + ( 95 - 5 ) / 6.6
s.d.

sorting

<0.35

very well sorted

0.35 - 0.50

well sorted

0.50 - 0.71

moderate well sorted

0.71 - 1.00

moderate sorted

1.00 - 2.00

poorly sorted

2.00 - 4.00

very poorly sorted

>4.00

extremely poorly sorted

Size Distribution
Skewness - natural sediment populations tend to show
asymmetry (either fine or coarse)
Normal Distribution
14

Negatively Skewed

Grain Size Data

14

12

10

16%

84%
1!

1!

weight

weight

Mode

12

10
8

Grain Size Data

Median
Mean

68.27%

0
-2.0 -1.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
phi size

0
-2.0 -1.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
phi size
coarse
fine
.

Kurtosis - degree of peakness (narrow vs. broad)

Textural/Mineralogical Maturity
Example of composition of detrital constituents in
sediments of varying grain size

Particle Shape
Defined by three related attributes.
form - refers to gross, overall configuration of particles
roundness - measure of the sharpness of grain corners
surface texture - small scale relief (pits, scratches, ridges)
Form (sphericity) - relative lengths of the 3 major axes, long (L),
intermediate (I), short (S).

!=3

Vofaparticle
Vofcircumscribingsphere

!=3

I/L

Affects settling V

DsDI
DL2

S/I

Roundness
ratio of the average radius of
curvature of corners (ri) to that of the
largest inscribing circle (R)
Function of
Grain hardness (mineral type)
Transport process

N= # of corners

Wind vs. Water

Distance transported

Quartz grains - subangular to

subrounded

Photomicrograph-subrounded
quartz grains which are single
crystal

Sources:
http://plaza.snu.ac.kr/%7Elee2602/atlas/atlas.html

Surface Texture
General features observable by eye or hand lens:
- Polished
- frosted
Numerous microscale features (SEM)
including;
Pits, scratches, fractures, ridges
Created by:
mechanical abrasion
chemical erosion (etching)
chemical precipitation (authigenesis)
General surface textures in 3 depositional
environments:
Eolian (wind) - smooth, round, silica
solution and precipitation
Littoral (waves) - v-shaped percussion
marks, conchoidal breakage patterns
Glacial (ice) - conchoidal fracture patterns,
parallel to semi-parallel striations

Conchoidal fracture on garnet

sand grain (Cormier, 2000)

Quartz overgrowths and

dissolution

Rock Fabric
Framework Grains
Matrix
Cement

Grain Orientation - show some preferred orientation

reflects on current direction & velocity (e.g. imbrication of
pebbles)
Orientation depends on shape - elongate or platy
pebbles oriented w/ long axes normal (or parallel) to flow
direction - imbrication to 10 to 15

imbricated pebbles within Quaternary alluvial fan deposits, Owens Valley,

California

Rock Fabric
Grain Packing - dense vs. porous
Contacts; floating, tangential, etc.
tangential
floating

The grain to grain alignment effects porosity

Cubic packing
(47.6% porosity)

Rhombohedral packing
(26.0% porosity)

10