Many sediments, including the fine-grained pelagic deposits,
possess polymodal grain size distributions. Resolution of individual
modes show them to be related either to compositional fractions or to
depositional processes or both, and sometimes permits the tracing
of dispersal patterns. The Cahn sedimentation balance provides a
means of obtaining continuous cumulative size distribution curves of
fine-grained sediments. The resultant cumulative curve is processed
by computer to yield a size frequency curve which is often found
to be polymodal. This frequency curve is resolved into its individual
components by means of an analog computer. The method is discussed
in detail and illustrated by means of a test study of pelagic
sediments from the Northwest Pacific. Samples collected nearest
land have the most components and the best sorted components. Fifteen
modes were decanted from five samples and X-rayed. Similar
components from different samples were found to have similar
compositions when plotted on a feldspar-kaolinite-mica ternary diagram.
Based on like composition and nearly identical mean size
values, it is possible to trace the sedimentary components from
sample to sample. / Graduation date: 1972
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/28429 |
| Date | 11 June 1971 |
| Creators | Oser, Robert Keith |
| Contributors | van Andel, T. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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