Part II: Physical Properties of Sedimentary Rocks

Chapter 3. Sedimentary Textures

Sedimentary texture (usually is of grain-scale) refers to the size, shape, and arrangement of the grains that make up a sedimentary rock.
3.2 Grain size (gravel to mud, grainsize variation (sorting)) 3.3 Particle shape (form, roundness, surface texture) 3.4 Grain fabric (grain orientation, grain-to-grain relations)

3.2 Grain size

3.2.1 Grain-size scales
1. Geometric scales: fixed ratio between successive elements. Udden-Wentworth scale (from < 1/256 mm to > 256 mm): each value in the scale is twice as large as the preceding value.

2. Logarithmic phi scale: A modification of UddenWentworth scale. Useful for graphical plotting and statistical calculations:

log 2 d
where is phi size and d is the grain diameter.
Boggs (2006), p.53

3.2.2 Measuring grain size

Settling-tube analysis (mainly for clay-sized particles)

Boggs (2006), p.54

A custom-made settling column that analyzes the grain-size composition of sediment samples by measuring the settling velocities of grains. (Coastal Geology and Process Laboratory, )

 Beckman Coulter LS 13 320 Particle Size Analyzer

Particle Size Range Typical Analysis Time Illuminating Sources 0.017 m - 2000 m 15 - 90 secs per sample Diffraction: Solid State (780 nm) PIDS: Tungsten lamp with high quality band-pass filters (450,600 and 900 nm) 0 90% without condensation

Humidity

Temperature
Sample Modules

10 40 C
Aqueous Liquid Module (ALM) Auto Prep Station (APS)

3.2.3 Graphical and mathematical treatment of grain-size data

Graphical methods (weight% vs. )

Cumulative curve (arithmetic ordinate): Typically S-shaped, the slope of the central part of this curve reflects the sorting of the sample.

Cumulative curve (log-probability ordinate): Typically straight line.

Fig. 3.1 Common visual methods of displaying grain-size data. A. Grain-size data table. B. Histogram and 5 frequency curve plotted from data in A. C. Cumulative curve with an arithmetic ordinate scale. D. Cumulative curve with a probability ordinate scale.

Another example

Prothero & Schwab (1996) Sedimentary Geology, p. 87

Mathematical methods
Mode - The most common grain size in the population (the highest point in the histogram plot or the steepest point (inflection point) on a cumulative curve). Median - The grain size for which 50% of the sample is finer. Note that these are not affected by the normality of the population. Mean - The average grain size in the deposit. Graphic mean =
16 50 84

3
For a normally (or log normally) distributed population; the mean, median, and mode are the same.
Prothero & Schwab (1996) Sedimentary Geology, p. 89

Fig. 3.2 Method for calculating percentile values from the cumulative curve.

Table. 3.1 Formulas for calculating grain-size statistical parameters by graphical methods.

Sorting The range of grain sizes present and the magnitude of the spread or scatter of these sizes around the mean size. The mathematical expression of sorting is standard deviation, which is expressed in phi ( ).
Sorting (inclusive graphic standard deviation) =

84 16 95 5
4 6.6
Fig. 3.4 Grain-size frequency curve for a normal distribution of phi values, showing the relationship of standard deviation to the mean, mode, and deviation ( 1 ) on either side of the mean size accounts for the frequency curve.

Standard Deviation () - The measure of how large a range of variation of particle size occurs around the mean. In conventional statistics, one standard deviation encompasses the central 68% of the area under the frequency curve.
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Fig. 3.3 Visual images for estimating grain-size sorting.

Sorting for cemented rocks

Prothero & Schwab (1996) Sedimentary Geology, p. 6

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Skewness (degree of asymmetry ): Skewness reflects sorting in the tails of a grain size population.

Fig. 3.5 Skewed grain-size frequency curve, illustrating the difference between positive (fine) and negative (coarse) skewness. Note the difference between these skewed, asymmetrical curves and the normal frequency curve shown in Figure 3.4.

Kurtosis () The degree of peakness of a grain-size frequency curve.

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3.2.4 Application and importance of grain-size data

1. To interpret coastal stratigraphy and sea-level fluctuations. 2. To trace glacial sediment transport and the cycling of glacial sediments from land to sea. 3. By marine geochemists to understand the fluxes, cycles, budgets, sources, and sinks of chemical elements in nature. 4. To understand the mass physical (geotechnical) properties of seafloor sediment, i.e., the degree to which these sediments are likely to undergo slumping, sliding, or other deformation. 5. To interpret the depositional environments of ancient sedimentary rocks.

The relationship between grain-size characteristics and depositional environments has NOT been firmly established.

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Fig. 3.6 Grain-size bivariate plot of moment skewness vs. moment standard deviations showing the fields in which most beach and river sands plot.

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An example from seafloor sediments recovered off SW Taiwan

Friedman14 1961

Skewness
Standard Deviation

Fig. 3.7 Relation of sediment transport dynamics to populations and truncation points in a grain-size distribution as revealed by plotting grain-size data as a cumulative curve on log probability paper.

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3.3 Particle shape

Fig. 3.8 Schematic representation of the principal aspects of particle shape: form, roundness, and surface texture. Note that sphericity and roundness are independent properties. For example, a highly spherical (equant) particle can be either well rounded or poorly rounded, and a well-rounded particle can have either high or low sphericity.

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3.3.1 Particle form (sphericity)

Grain shape: The four classes of grain shape (mainly for gravel) based on the ratios of the long (DL) intermediate (DI) and short (DS) diameters. Oblate (), bladed ()equant ()prolate ()

Fig. 3.9 A. Classification of shapes of pebbles after Zingg (1935). B. Relationship between mathematical sphericity and Zingg shape fields. The curves represent lines of equal sphericity.

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3.3.2 Particle roundness

Tucker (2003) Sedimentary Rocks in the Field, p.72.

Fig. 3.10 Powers grain images for estimating roundness of sedimentary particles.

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3.3.5 Surface texture

Fig. 3.11 Electron micrograph of a quartz grain from unconsolidated Plio-Pleistocene sand, Louisiana salt dome edge, southern Louisiana, showing details of the surface texture. The grain has been well rounded by wind transport and contains tiny upturned plates (pointed by arrows) characteristic of dune sands.

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3.4 Fabric
3.4.1 Grain orientation
()

Fig. 3.12 Schematic illustration of the orientation of elongated particles in relation to flow. A. Particles oriented parallel to current flow. B. Particles oriented perpendicular to current flow. C. Imbricated particles. D. Randomly oriented particles, characteristic of deposition in quiet water.

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Imbricated gravels in the Ta Cha River after flood (2004/7/2)

Fig. 3.13 Well-developed imbrication of river cobbles, Kiso River, Japan. Imbrication was produced by river currents flowing from left to right (arrow). Note hammer for scale.

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3.4.2 Grain packing, grain-to-grain relations, and porosity

Fig. 3.14 Progressive decrease in porosity of spheres owing to increasingly tight packing.

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Fig. 3.15 Diagrammatic illustration of principal kinds of grain contacts. A. Tangential. B. Long. C. Concavo-convex. D. Sutured.

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