biogeochemistry, and material fluxes into and out
of a sediment body. The porosity is a function of both
grain size and sorting (standard deviation of a particlesize distribution), the porosity increasing with decreasing grain size (cf. Figure 5a). In addition, well-sorted
sediment of a given mean grain size has a larger
porosity than more poorly sorted counterparts because,
in the latter case, finer particles increasingly occupy
the pore space between larger particles as sorting
decreases.
Mass Physical Sediment Properties, Figure 5 (a) Porosity as a function of mean grain size. Note the increasing porosity with
decreasing grain size, and the higher porosity in well sorted as opposed to poorly sorted sediment. (b) Permeability as a function of
mean grain size and sorting (Modified after Krumbein and Monk (1942)). (c) Permeability as a function of porosity in relationship to
mean grain size and sorting (Modified after Selley (1985)).
424
MASS PHYSICAL SEDIMENT PROPERTIES
of a sediment body. The porosity is a function of both
grain size and sorting (standard deviation of a particlesize distribution), the porosity increasing with decreasing grain size (cf. Figure 5a). In addition, well-sorted
sediment of a given mean grain size has a larger
porosity than more poorly sorted counterparts because,
in the latter case, finer particles increasingly occupy
the pore space between larger particles as sorting
decreases.
Mass Physical Sediment Properties, Figure 5 (a) Porosity as a function of mean grain size. Note the increasing porosity with
decreasing grain size, and the higher porosity in well sorted as opposed to poorly sorted sediment. (b) Permeability as a function of
mean grain size and sorting (Modified after Krumbein and Monk (1942)). (c) Permeability as a function of porosity in relationship to
mean grain size and sorting (Modified after Selley (1985)).
424
MASS PHYSICAL SEDIMENT PROPERTIES