- Title
- A comparison of grain-size analysis methods for sand-dominated fluvial sediments
- Creator
- Cheetham, Michael; Keene, Annabelle; Bush, Richard; Sullivan, Leigh; Erskine, Wayne
- Date
- 2008
- Type
- Text; Journal article
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/99536
- Identifier
- vital:10380
- Identifier
-
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3091.2008.00972.x
- Identifier
- ISSN:0037-0746
- Abstract
- Grain-size distribution is a fundamental tool for interpreting sedimentary units within depositional systems. The techniques assessed in this study are commonly used to determine grain-size distributions for sand-dominated sediments. However, the degree of consistency and differences in interpretation when using a combination of grain-size methods have not yet been assessed systematically for sand-dominated fluvial sediments. Results obtained from laser diffraction, X-ray attenuation and scanning electron microscopy grain-size analysis techniques were compared with those obtained from the traditional sieve/ hydrometer method. Scanning electron microscopy was shown to provide an inaccurate quantitative analysis of grain-size distributions because of difficulties in obtaining representative samples for examination. The X-ray attenuation method is unsuitable for sand-dominated sediments because of its upper size range of only 300 μm. The consistently strong correlation between the laser diffraction results and the sieve/ hydrometer results shows that these methods are comparable for sand-dominated fluvial sediments. Provided that sample preparation is consistent, the latter two methods can be used together within a study of such sediments while maintaining a high degree of accuracy. These results indicate that data for sand-dominated fluvial sediments gained from the long-established sieve/hydrometer method can be compared with confidence to those obtained by modern studies using laser diffraction techniques. © Journal compilation © 2008 International Association of Sedimentologists.
- Publisher
- Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Relation
- Sedimentology Vol. 55, no. 6 (2008), p. 1905-1913
- Rights
- Copyright © 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2008 International Association of Sedimentologists
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- 0403 Geology; Hydrometer; Laser diffraction; Scanning electron microscopy; Sieve; X-ray attenuation; Accuracy assessment; Aalluvial deposit; Confidence interval; Diffraction; Grain size; Hydrometry; Laser method; Sand; Sieving; Size distribution
- Reviewed
- Hits: 1215
- Visitors: 1183
- Downloads: 1
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format |
|---|