X-ray tomographic analysis of sediment macrostructure in Eckernförde Bay,western Baltic Sea

X-ray computed tomography analysis of sediment cores from Eckernförde Bay (western Baltic Sea) indicates that the primary macrostructures and sources of physical property variability are feeding pockets and laminae. Burrowing produces easily discernible macrostructures, yet has a nominal effect overall on sediment property variability. Grain-size distribution is a dominant parameter determining the sediment macrostructure—physical property relationship: the largest variation in sediment properties was associated with sandy sediment and the smallest with muds. However, equally significant is the sorting or spatial distribution of grains within a particular sediment horizon, i.e., whether spatially uniform or patchy.