Evaluation of a wide range laser diffraction grain size analyser for use with sediments

The qualities of a laser diffraction grain size analyser, the Coulter LS-100 (range claimed by the manufacturer: 0·4–900 μm in a single measurement), are evaluated on sediments of fluvial and lacustrine origin. Accuracy and resolution of measurement on standard latex spheres are excellent. Reproducibility of the results on natural sediments appears to be satisfactory, but the method underestimates the fraction of clay particles with an efficiency of detection (36–70%) proportional to the clay content determined from pipette analysis. This efficiency is somewhat higher than those reported from other instruments of the same generation. Comparison of the Coulter LS-100 with other sizing techniques shows good agreement with the sieving method but some differences appear with the electroresistance particle technique: median and mean size values measured by the Coulter Counter TA1 are systematically lower than those obtained by the Coulter LS-100. Analyses show good correlation with those of a Malvern Laser particle analyser but a discrepancy appears with very fine silt and clay sized sediments. The Coulter LS-100 detects a higher clay content than that measured with the Malvern Laser Sizer 2600. Except when precise measurements of clay content are needed, the Coulter LS-100 produces precise and accurate results in size ranges required for geological and environmental studies.     

南海表层沉积物的沉降法和激光法粒度分析结果对比和校正

沉降法与激光法粒度分析的主要差异是黏土粒径,这个差异将直接影响到黏土、粉砂含量和沉积物类型。本文对激光法黏土粒径和含量及沉积物类型进行系统校正。南海东部水深〉2 000 m海域沉降法得出的砂、粉砂、黏土含量分别为3.66%、42.43%、53.91%,激光法砂、粉砂、黏土含量分别为9.26%、61.11%、29.64%...     

成都平原区成都粘土的粒度特征及其成因意义

对成都平原区内5个代表性的第四系剖面上的成都粘土进行了系统的粒度分析。结果表明,成都粘土以粉砂颗粒(5~50μm)为主,平均粒径约为7.1~7.3φ(7.4~6.6μm),缺少粗尾,>63μm颗粒的含量很少,以细颗粒物质为主,呈双峰分布。其粒度分布及粒度参数特征与北方黄土及甘孜黄土非常相似,而与河流相沉积物有很大差异,表明成都粘土属于风成堆积。根据光释光测年(OSL)结果,成都平原区的成都粘土是晚更新世中期至晚期末次冰期堆积物,其物质主体是远源的。     

激光粒度仪测试结果及其与沉降法、筛析法的比较

分析了Cilas 940L激光粒度仪的测试结果,并与沉降法、筛析法进行了比较。激光粒度仪测试结果的重复性较好,测量精度较高。对于玻璃珠样品,激光粒度仪和筛析法测试结果十分接近,对于天然沉积物,激光粒度仪测定的平均粒径偏粗,分选偏差。和沉降法相比,激光粒度仪测定的粘土组份 (<8%)的含量为沉降法的 46.7%～ 70.5 %,平均为 6 0 %,测定的平均粒径较沉降法偏粗,分选偏差。造成激光粒度仪与沉降法、筛析法之间差异的原因主要在于这些测试方法原理的不同和天然沉积物不规则的形状。     

Experimental insights into laser diffraction particle sizing of fine‐grained sediments for use in palaeoceanography

Grain‐size measurements of fine‐grained sediments based on laser diffraction may contain spurious information due to the over‐estimation of the size and proportion of platy particles. Consequently, some regard the use of laser diffraction particle sizing in palaeoceanography inappropriate. Here, it is shown experimentally that such concerns are not warranted. Laser diffraction particle sizing is known to be fast, precise and allows for detailed particle sizing over a broad size range; it is therefore potentially a very powerful technique if the complications associated with it can be overcome. As most sediments are mixtures of different components transported by different mechanisms, inferences of past environmental parameters require decomposition of the grain‐size record in question. Useful decomposition can only be performed if changes in the contribution of the components are registered predictably by the measuring device. This study reports on mixing experiments which show that the Fritsch A22 laser diffraction particle sizer does indeed register small changes in the contribution of the mixing components in a predictable way. Mixing proportions estimated from the measurements do, however, differ from the initial mixing proportions, but these can be converted with only small errors. Application of the conversion equations to a North Atlantic grain‐size record that showed consistent slowdown of deep‐ocean circulation in response to millennial scale ice‐rafting events during the last glacial does not quantitatively affect the original inferences. Laser diffraction particle sizing of fine‐grained sediments therefore yields reproducible and useful data for palaeoceanographic reconstructions.     

渤海曹妃甸海域沉积物粒度激光法与综合法测试结果对比

激光法与综合法(吸液管法-筛析法)均是测试沉积物粒度特征的常用方法,由于测试原理和流程的差异,这两种方法对同一样品分析所获得测试结果往往不尽一致。为探究两种方法的共同性、差异性和相关性,并建立适合曹妃甸海域激光法与综合法测试结果之间的转换关系,通过对曹妃甸海域49个沉积物样品分别进行激光法和综合法实验,对比结果表明: ①激光法与综合法所测砂粒含量大致相等,粉砂含量激光法所测结果高,黏土含量综合法所测结果较高; ②激光法和吸液管法测试结果误差主要在发生在10φ(φ=log2D,D为直径,φ为单位)阶段,吸液管法测将黏土含量显著升高,激光法与筛析法结果误差主要发生在粗端颗粒,激光法测得粗端颗粒含量普遍偏高; ③激光法与综合法粒度参数回归分析随着粒径减小相关性逐渐降低,粒度参数回归方程的斜率、截距与前人研究结果不具有统一性。研究建立的曹妃甸海域激光法与综合法数据转换模型分析表明,在粒度范围[-1,4]φ,激光法和综合法所获得数据结果可以进行相互转换; 明确了激光法与综合法测量沉积物粒度特征的差异。研究成果对使用激光法测量沉积物粒度特征和完善测试方法与流程有参考意义。     

Determination of the origin of suspended matter and sediments in the Elbe estuary using natural tracers

The clay mineral composition, the concentrations of carbonates, the proportions of carbon and oxygen isotopes in carbonates and organic matter, as well as the concentrations of different nonanthropogenic metals were used to determine the origin of different grain size fractions of sediments and suspended matter in the Elbe estuary. Analysis of the smectite/kaolinite proportion revealed that solid material ≤2 μm from the North Sea is transported up the river, about 40 km beyond the most upstream position of the salt wedge. In the 2–20 μm fraction, the¹⁶O/¹⁸O ratio in carbonates and the kaolinite/chlorite proportion demonstrate a transport of North Sea material between 40 and 20 km upstream of the marine water limit. The transport behaviour of the 20–63 μm grain size fraction could be determined by the hafnium concentration, representative for the heavy mineral zircon. In this case, the transport distance beyond the salt wedge was up to 20 km. No information was available on the origin of the fine organic matter, whereas the coarser fractions were derived primarily from debris of salt marsh vegetation. The results demonstrate that in the Elbe estuary mixing between marine and fluvial solid material occurs upstream of the salt wedge and is significantly responsible for the observed decrease in the concentration of various pollutants in sediments and suspended matter along the estuary. The cause of the upstream particle transport is probably a scour lag mechanism based on asymmetries of the flood- and ebb-tide current distribution, especially their differing maximum velocities.     

The influence of particle size variations on the magnetic properties of sediments from the north-eastern Irish Sea

This paper considers the magnetic properties of a range of recent and contemporary sediments from the north eastern part of the Irish Sea. Principal component ordinations of the results show a close link between magnetic property variations and particle size. The magnetic properties of a subset of samples, particles sized by a combination of sieving and pipette analysis, confirm that variations in ferrimagnetic (‘magnetite’) grain size parallel those in particle size, despite the fact that the magnetic grains in the fine grades have diameters 1–2 orders of magnitude smaller than those of the particle size fraction in which they occur. This is best explained by postulating that the fine magnetic grains occur in the clay fraction but are present in declining concentrations in the coarser grades up to 4ø as an artefact of the pipette method. Most samples have a biomodal distribution of magnetic minerals, with a coarse mode associated with heavy minerals in the sands or coarse silts, and a fine mode in the clays. Magnetic susceptibility (x) and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) largely pick out the coarse mode where present; anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) largely picks out the fine mode. The results open up the possibility of normalizing samples from these environments for particle size and, more specifically, clay content, by means of ARM or ARM/x values. The most likely source for the uniform and almost exclusive stable single domain magnetite, which dominates the magnetic properties of the clays, is thought to be bacterial magnetosomes. The measurements as a whole do not appear to hold much promise for discriminating sediment source types.     

Patterns of rare earth and other trace elements in different size fractions of clays of Campanian–Maastrichtian deposits from the Portuguese western margin (Aveiro and Taveiro Formations)

The Upper Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) Taveiro and Aveiro Formations belong to the northern sector of the Lusitanian basin (Portuguese western margin). The Taveiro Formation was deposited in alluvial fans, including mud flow beds, lakes and sinuous rivers. The Aveiro Formation was deposited in a flat region with low hydrodynamics channels, with the formation of a barrier island-tidal system. The reconstruction of this sedimentary basin may be difficult due to its complex architecture. This work aims a methodology to be used in the reconstruction of Cretaceous sedimentary environments of the Lusitanian basin, through the establishment of geochemical patterns of different size fractions of those deposits. Chemical analysis was performed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), and the mineralogical composition obtained by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The whole rock and different size fractions (? ≥ 125 μm, 63–125 μm, 20–63 μm, 2–20 μm and ? < 2 μm) of selected samples were studied aiming the rare earth elements (REE) and other trace elements distribution and its correlation with the grain size and mineralogy.The results obtained for the studied Cretaceous sediments showed that REE patterns and other trace elements distribution in the different size fractions may be used as a tool to differentiate deposits within and between sedimentary formations. Within the Taveiro Formation, REE are concentrated in the silt fractions (20–63 μm and 2–20 μm) of the Reveles deposit, and in the clay size fraction of S. Pedro deposit, which is richer in kaolinite. The 1st transition elements, particularly Zn, are correlated with the presence of smectite in the clay fraction of Reveles deposit. In the sand and silt size fractions (>2 μm) of samples from Taveiro Formation correlations were found between: Ga and 1st transition elements, and phyllosilicates; Cs and mica; and Rb and Ba, and K–feldspars.The Bustos deposit (Aveiro Formation) samples are very fine-grained and with a high proportion of the fine silt fraction where REE are concentrated, especially the heavy ones. Incorporation of MREE, Co and U in carbonates of the coarser fraction appears to occur. The abundances of the 1st transition elements, Ga and As, are correlated with phyllosilicates.Significant differences were found in the trace elements patterns of the various analysed size fractions of the Lusitanian basin of Cretaceous sediments, between and even within formations, which can be used as a methodological approach for a fine paleogeographic reconstruction.     

A comparison of grain‐size analysis methods for sand‐dominated fluvial sediments

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.     

黄土高原黄土和红粘土~(10)Be地球化学特征

充分认识元素和同位素在不同环境条件下的地球化学行为,是运用元素和同位素示踪环境变化的前提。对来自于黄土高原的黄土、古土壤和红粘土样品的宇宙成因核素10Be测量和化学成分分析,以及各种化学淋溶实验表明：10Be主要以吸附状态赋存于粉尘沉积物粘粒矿物的表面,部分已结合进自生的粘土矿物中;在粉尘沉积物风化过程中10BC与9Be和Al的活动性相似,基本没有发生迁移,其原因是连续沉积的粉尘含有大量的碱性物质,阻止了10Be的解吸附和淋滤;沉积和风化作用导致了10Be浓度与化学指标在黄土－古土壤和红粘土剖面中的协同变化。     

Particle size distribution analysis of sand-sized particles by laser diffraction: an experimental investigation of instrument sensitivity and the effects of particle shape

Laser diffraction is now widely used for particle size distribution analysis of sediments and soils. The technique can be very precise, and offers advantages of speed and cost over many other methods when used to analyse mixtures of sand, silt and clay. This study presents the results of an experimental investigation that examined the sensitivity of the Beckman-Coulter LS230 instrument to mixtures of different grain populations and differences in particle shape. The instrument was found to have high sensitivity to coarse particles in a finer matrix (detection threshold 1–2%), but much lower sensitivity to finer particles in a coarser mixture (detection threshold 12–17%). Experiments using near-spherical ballotini showed that laser analysis provides very similar values to dry sieving for the mean, median and mode, but for a range of natural sand samples values for the mean, median and mode were offset by 8–21%, with an average of ca 15%, compared with sieving. Analysis using a Beckman-Coulter RapidVUE instrument, which provides both size and shape information, provided support for the hypothesis that the differences between laser analysis and sieving are partly attributable to the effects of particle shape. However, an additional factor is the way in which the laser software interprets the optical diffraction data. The software predicts a high degree of log-normality in the size distribution, such that highly skewed, truncated or bimodal samples are poorly represented. Experiments using sieved fractions of ballotini indicated that, even with near-perfectly spherical particles, the particle size distribution predicted by the laser software includes a relatively large percentage of particles outside the sieve class limits.     

The influence of palaeosalinity, grain size distribution and clay minerals on the content of B, Li and Rb in Quaternary sediments from Eastern Jutland, Denmark

Bulk sample analysis of Late- and Postglacial sediments from the Randers fjord area, Eastern Jutland, seem to indicate a relationship between palaeosalinity and B, Li and Rb contents determined on weak acid extracts of the sediment. Investigations of different size fractions, grain size distribution, and of clay minerals show, however, that variations in palaeosalinity as determined by palaeontological methods in this case have no direct influence on the chemistry. The variation of Li and Rb is related to variation in grain size, while the B variation seems to be related to the content of montmorillonite in the clay fraction.     

Effects of grain size distribution on mineralogical and chemical compositions: a case study from size‐fractional sediments of the Huanghe (Yellow River) and Changjiang (Yangtze River)

The influence of hydrodynamics on the chemical composition of sediments is based on the uneven distribution of element abundances in different size fractions. In this study, 72 size‐fractional sediments from the Huanghe (Yellow River) and Changjiang (Yangtze River) riverbeds were measured with XRD, SEM, ICP‐AES and ICP‐MS. The analysis results show that the mineral and chemical characteristics change with grain size in the Huanghe and Changjiang sediments. According to the principal components analysis, three independent geochemical factors were found. The first factor elements, Zr, Hf, Th, U, Y, La and TiO₂ are influenced by the existence of heavy minerals. The second factor elements, Al₂O₃, alkalis, alkaline earth (excluding Ca and Sr) and most of the transitional metals are dominated by clay minerals. The third factor group includes Ca and Sr, which were controlled by calcium‐bearing mineral contents and chemical weathering intensities. The various grain size distributions greatly affect the mineralogical and chemical compositions of bulk sediments. Compared to other size fractions, the 5–6PHI size fractions of the Huanghe and Changjiang sediments have special mineralogical and chemical compositions, and intermediate volume percentages. Weight or volume percentage of each size fraction may be more suitable than mean grain‐size of the bulk sediment to elucidate the grain size effects. Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values increase steeply with decreasing grain size, while Weathering Index of Parker (WIP) values are relatively stable. Because of the big influence of the abundance of clay minerals on CIA values, it is questionable to use CIA as a proxy of weathering intensity. Considering the clay mineral effects, stability in values and heterogeneous material properties, WIP has the potential to indicate the chemical weathering intensity of sediments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

青藏高原典型地区沉积物地球化学特征与矿物组成的粒度效应

地表松散沉积物中不同粒级的颗粒蕴含着不同的信息,这种差异与其物质来源、搬运和沉积过程中的分选作用以及沉积后的风化作用等有关。因此,可根据沉积物中不同粒级颗粒地球化学特征与矿物组成的差异,进行沉积物物源追踪或沉积环境重建。选择青藏高原在气候和地貌方面具有典型意义的柴达木盆地、错那湖、雅鲁藏布江流域作为研究区,分别采集了这几个地区的沙丘沙、黄土、湖积物、冲积物、洪积物、残坡积物等地表松散沉积物样品,用干筛法将沉积物样品分为两个部分,粗颗粒部分粒径范围为≥75~500 μm,细颗粒部分粒径<75 μm。对上述粗、细颗粒分别进行稀土与微量元素、Sr-Nd同位素、轻矿物组成的实验室分析测试,并对沉积物中粗、细颗粒的测试结果采用古典多维尺度方法进行相似性分析。结果表明：青藏高原松散沉积物中粗、细颗粒在轻矿物组成、微量和稀土元素含量、稀土特征、元素参数等方面存在差异;细颗粒部分蕴含了更多的环境信息,富含容易受化学风化影响的黏土矿物以及硬度较小、容易被磨蚀的方解石等矿物。在物源示踪中不同气候区的沉积物细颗粒不宜进行直接比较,应根据样品的粒度分布情况优先选择合适的粗颗粒组分进行物源示踪。     

松嫩沙地Sr?Nd同位素组成特征

作为亚洲风尘源区的中国北方干旱—半干旱地区的Sr?Nd同位素组成已得到很好的研究,但位于欧亚黄土带最东端的松嫩沙地尚是空白,这影响了对该地区风尘系统的深入理解。为此,系统采集了松嫩沙地19个区域90个河流沙和风成沙样品,并对这些样品进行了分粒级处理（<63 μm、63~30 μm、30~10 μm、<10 μm和<30 μm）。对116个分粒级子样的酸不溶物（硅酸盐组分）进行了Sr?Nd同位素组成的测定。研究结果表明,松嫩沙地可划分出两个大区（嫩江水系和松花江水系）和七个小区,嫩江水系沉积物的Nd同位素组成显著高于松花江水系,而Sr同位素组成明显偏低。松嫩沙地8个剖面纵向上的同位素特征显示,Sr?Nd同位素组成存在“时间效应”,即随时间发生了明显变化,表明了源区地球化学组成的不稳定性。分粒级组成表明,粒度对87Sr/86Sr比值的影响很小,但对Nd同位素组成有明显影响,且存在Nd同位素比值富集在粗颗粒组分中的趋势,这与以往的研究结果不同。无论是地质历史时期还是现在,嫩江水系沉积物（大庆、杜蒙、齐齐哈尔、泰来、白城）对哈尔滨粉尘的贡献都很小。哈尔滨黄土与现代尘暴粉尘有不同的物源,哈尔滨黄土是春季尘暴天气作用的产物,有一个混合源,松花江水系沉积物（扶余、德惠、榆树等地）是哈尔滨黄土的主要粉尘源区,内蒙古中东部的沙地也为哈尔滨黄土贡献了部分的细颗粒粉尘。     

东太平洋水合物海岭BSR以上沉积物粒度变化与气体水合物分布

文中对国际大洋钻探204航次在太平洋水合物海岭8 个站位BSR深度以上气体水合物稳定带的沉积物进行了粒度分析和对比研究。结果表明,该稳定带内沉积物总体粒径变化特征为:粉砂质量分数在60%~75%之间,为气体水合物稳定带内沉积组分的主体组分。粘土质量分数一般小于35%,砂质量分数小于5%。该结果获得的粒径变化范围,与204 航次中沉积学研究所确定的粘土质粉砂、粉砂质粘土夹含砂质粉砂、含砂质粘土岩性特征一致。各站位沉积粒径变化和代表气体水合物存在的岩心红外照相IR异常低温记录之间的初步对比说明,气体水合物主要富集在沉积组分较粗,相当于粉砂或者砂级质量分数较高的粒度层。统计学的相关性研究结果定量地揭示了各个站位沉积物粒径变粗与气体水合物的存在有不同的相关关系。归纳起来发现,不同构造部位沉积物中气体水合物赋存层段的粒径范围不同。坡后盆地由于当地总体沉积物颗粒细,气体水合物赋存在极细粉砂粒级(8~26μm)的沉积物中。水合物海岭南峰顶部附近站位气体水合物主要赋存在粗粉砂和细砂(50~148μm)之间。     

Clay mineralogy of the ocean sediments from the Wilkes Land margin,east Antarctica: implications on the paleoclimate,provenance and sediment dispersal pattern

Core U1359 collected from the continental rise off Wilkes Land, east Antarctica, is analyzed for the clay mineralogy and carbon content. The temporal variation of the clay mineralogical data shows a dominance of illite with chlorite, smectite and kaolinite in decreasing concentration. Clay mineral illite is negatively correlated with smectite which shows enrichment during 6.2–6.8, 5.5–5.8, 4.5 and 2.5 Ma. The mineralogical analyses on the silt size fraction (2–53 μm) of some selected samples were also carried out. The combined result of both the size fractions shows the presence of chlorite and illite in both size fractions, smectite and kaolinite only in clay size fraction (<2 μm) and similarity in the crystallinity and chemistry of illite in both fractions. Similar nature of illite in both fractions suggests negligible role of sorting probably due to the deposition from the waxing ice sheet. During times of ice growth, nearby cratonic east Antarctica shield provided biotite-rich sediments to the depositional site. On the other hand, the presence of smectite, only in the clay size fraction, suggests the effective role of sorting probably due to the deposition from distal source in ice retreat condition. During times of ice retreat, smectite-rich sediment derived from Ross Orogen is transported to the core site through surface or bottom water currents. Poor crystallinity of illite due to degradation further corroborates the ice retreat condition. The ice sheet proximal sediments of U1359 show that in the eastern part of Wilkes Land, the ‘warming’ was initiated during late Miocene.     

Hydrogen isotope exchange between clay minerals and sea water

The D/H ratios of separated size fractions of clay minerals in two deep sea sediments taken from depths of 30 and 1100cm in a North Pacific Ocean core were measured to investigate the extent of hydrogen isotope exchange between detrital clay minerals and sea water. The D/H ratio of each size fraction of the shallower sample was compared with that of the corresponding size fraction of the deeper sample. No differences were detected between D/H ratios of corresponding size fractions from the two levels in the core except for the <0.1μm size fraction, which makes up only 5% of the sample. Even in this size fraction only about 8–28% D/H exchange is apparent. This is interpreted as indicating that no significant hydrogen isotope exchange between clay minerals and sea water has occurred during the past 2–3 Myr. Therefore information concerning the provenance and mode of formation of detrital clay minerals can be obtained from the D/H ratios of deep sea sediments younger than 2–3 Myr.     

Distinction between sortable silts and aggregated particles in muddy intertidal sediments of the East Frisian Wadden Sea, southern North Sea

In muddy sediments, the distinction between sortable silt and aggregated silty clay is important for the understanding of fine particle dynamics because both have different hydraulic properties. The Wadden Sea of the southern North Sea is severely depleted in fine-grained sediments mainly due to high energy levels along the diked coastline. As a result, muddy sediments are restricted to a narrow belt along the diked mainland shore. In the present study, the mechanism by which this mud is deposited and how floc deposition and break-up are reflected in the size distribution, has been investigated. For this purpose, surficial sediments from four intertidal nearshore transects were monitored and repeatedly sampled in the course of two years. High-resolution grain-size analyses were performed by an automated settling tube and a Sedigraph particle analyser for the sand and mud fractions, respectively.The grain size frequency distributions of the fine fractions demonstrate that the Wadden Sea muds are composed of two subpopulations, a well-sorted coarse silt and an unsorted silty clay population. A depletion of grain size around 8 μm (7 phi) demarcates the grain-size boundary between the two populations, suggesting that the finer mud population (< 8 μm) is deposited in the form of flocs and aggregates which are hydraulically equivalent to the local sands and coarser silts. Floc break-up and reconstitution in response to seasonally changing energy regimes lead to apparent seasonal sedimentation patterns in the back-barrier tidal basins. Furthermore, in the course of sample preparation, the flocs and aggregates are broken down into their constituent particles. This mechanical artefact in the size distributions produces an artificial seasonal fining/coarsening pattern. It was found that the comparison of clay/silt and < 8 μm/63 − 8 μm particle ratios are good indicators of floc behaviour. Higher ratios are found in mixed flats which are relatively protected from wave action, thereby promoting deposition of flocs. In addition, progressive size sorting and mixing processes along the transects are recognized in the frequency distributions of sands. The skewness pattern shows a landward decrease in positive values, which is exactly opposite to previously reported patterns, suggesting progressive winnowing of fine particles caused by increased wave action over the last decade. This effect of climate change further promotes depletion of fine-grained sediments in the basin.