Uniform grain-size distribution in the active layer of a shallow, gravel-bed, braided river (the Urumqi River, China) and implications for paleo-hydrology

Uniform grain-size distribution in the active layer of a shallow, gravel-bedded, braided river (the Urumqi River, China) and implications for paleo-hydrology

Earth Surface Dynamics ◽

10.5194/esurf-6-1011-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 1011-1021 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laure Guerit ◽

Laurie Barrier ◽

Youcun Liu ◽

Clément Narteau ◽

Eric Lajeunesse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Active Layer ◽

Vertical Section ◽

Vertical Surface ◽

Data Set ◽

Braided Rivers ◽

River Bed ◽

Grain Size Distributions

Abstract. The grain-size distribution of ancient alluvial systems is commonly determined from surface samples of vertically exposed sections of gravel deposits. This method relies on the hypothesis that the grain-size distribution obtained from a vertical cross section is equivalent to that of the riverbed. Such an hypothesis implies first that the sediments are uniform in size in the river bed, and second that the sampling method implemented on a vertical section leads to a grain-size distribution equivalent to the bulk one. Here, we report a field test of this hypothesis on granulometric samples collected in an active, gravel-bedded, braided stream: the Urumqi River in China. We compare data from volumetric samples of a trench excavated in an active thread and from surface counts performed on the trench vertical faces. Based on this data set, we show that the grain-size distributions obtained from all the samples are similar and that the deposit is uniform at the scale of the river active layer, a layer extending from the surface to a depth of approximately 10 times the size of the largest clasts. As a consequence, the grid-by-number method implemented vertically leads to a grain-size distribution equivalent to the one obtained by a bulk volumetric sampling. This study thus brings support to the hypothesis that vertical surface counts provide an accurate characterization of the grain-size distribution of paleo-braided rivers.

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Effect of Strain-Induced Precipitation on the Recrystallization Kinetics in a Model Alloy

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A ◽

10.1007/s11661-021-06206-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mo Ji ◽

Martin Strangwood ◽

Claire Davis

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Avrami Exponent ◽

Model Alloy ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Recrystallization Kinetics ◽

Grain Size Distributions ◽

Recrystallized Grain Size ◽

Nb Addition

AbstractThe effects of Nb addition on the recrystallization kinetics and the recrystallized grain size distribution after cold deformation were investigated by using Fe-30Ni and Fe-30Ni-0.044 wt pct Nb steel with comparable starting grain size distributions. The samples were deformed to 0.3 strain at room temperature followed by annealing at 950 °C to 850 °C for various times; the microstructural evolution and the grain size distribution of non- and fully recrystallized samples were characterized, along with the strain-induced precipitates (SIPs) and their size and volume fraction evolution. It was found that Nb addition has little effect on recrystallized grain size distribution, whereas Nb precipitation kinetics (SIP size and number density) affects the recrystallization Avrami exponent depending on the annealing temperature. Faster precipitation coarsening rates at high temperature (950 °C to 900 °C) led to slower recrystallization kinetics but no change on Avrami exponent, despite precipitation occurring before recrystallization. Whereas a slower precipitation coarsening rate at 850 °C gave fine-sized strain-induced precipitates that were effective in reducing the recrystallization Avrami exponent after 50 pct of recrystallization. Both solute drag and precipitation pinning effects have been added onto the JMAK model to account the effect of Nb content on recrystallization Avrami exponent for samples with large grain size distributions.

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Controls on the grain size distribution of landslides in Taiwan: the influence of drop height, scar depth and bedrock strength

Earth Surface Dynamics ◽

10.5194/esurf-9-995-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 995-1011

Author(s):

Odin Marc ◽

Jens M. Turowski ◽

Patrick Meunier

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Block Size ◽

Fragmentation Model ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Drop Height ◽

Size Segregation ◽

Grain Size Distributions ◽

Strong Segregation

Abstract. The size of grains delivered to rivers by hillslope processes is thought to be a key factor controlling sediment transport, long-term erosion and the information recorded in sedimentary archives. Recently, models have been developed to estimate the grain size distribution produced in soil, but these models may not apply to active orogens where high erosion rates on hillslopes are driven by landsliding. To date, relatively few studies have focused on landslide grain size distributions. Here, we present grain size distributions (GSDs) obtained by grid-by-number sampling on 17 recent landslide deposits in Taiwan, and we compare these GSDs to the geometrical and physical properties of the landslides, such as their width, area, rock type, drop height and estimated scar depth. All slides occurred in slightly metamorphosed sedimentary units, except two, which occurred in younger unmetamorphosed shales, with a rock strength that is expected to be 3–10 times weaker than their metamorphosed counterparts. For 11 landslides, we did not observe substantial spatial variations in the GSD over the deposit. However, four landslides displayed a strong grain size segregation on their deposit, with the overall GSD of the downslope toe sectors being 3–10 times coarser than apex sectors. In three cases, we could also measure the GSD inside incised sectors of the landslides deposits, which presented percentiles that were 3–10 times finer than the surface of the deposit. Both observations could be due to either kinetic sieving or deposit reworking after the landslide failure, but we cannot explain why only some deposits had strong segregation. Averaging this spatial variability, we found the median grain size of the deposits to be strongly negatively correlated with drop height, scar width and depth. However, previous work suggests that regolith particles and bedrock blocks should coarsen with increasing depth, which is the inverse of our observations. Accounting for a model of regolith coarsening with depth, we found that the ratio of the estimated original bedrock block size to the deposit median grain size (D50) of the deposit was proportional to the potential energy of the landslide normalized to its bedrock strength. Thus, the studied landslides agree well with a published, simple fragmentation model, even if that model was calibrated on rock avalanches with larger volume and stronger bedrock than those featured in our dataset. Therefore, this scaling may serve for future modeling of grain size transfer from hillslopes to rivers, with the aim to better understanding landslide sediment evacuation and coupling to river erosional dynamics.

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Grain-size distribution unmixing using the R package EMMAgeo

E&G Quaternary Science Journal ◽

10.5194/egqsj-68-29-2019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 68 (1) ◽

pp. 29-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Elisabeth Dietze ◽

Michael Dietze

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Synthetic Data ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Sediment Sources ◽

Data Set ◽

Depositional Processes ◽

Grain Size Distributions

Abstract. The analysis of grain-size distributions has a long tradition in Quaternary Science and disciplines studying Earth surface and subsurface deposits. The decomposition of multi-modal grain-size distributions into inherent subpopulations, commonly termed end-member modelling analysis (EMMA), is increasingly recognised as a tool to infer the underlying sediment sources, transport and (post-)depositional processes. Most of the existing deterministic EMMA approaches are only able to deliver one out of many possible solutions, thereby shortcutting uncertainty in model parameters. Here, we provide user-friendly computational protocols that support deterministic as well as robust (i.e. explicitly accounting for incomplete knowledge about input parameters in a probabilistic approach) EMMA, in the free and open software framework of R. In addition, and going beyond previous validation tests, we compare the performance of available grain-size EMMA algorithms using four real-world sediment types, covering a wide range of grain-size distribution shapes (alluvial fan, dune, loess and floodplain deposits). These were randomly mixed in the lab to produce a synthetic data set. Across all algorithms, the original data set was modelled with mean R2 values of 0.868 to 0.995 and mean absolute deviation (MAD) values of 0.06 % vol to 0.34 % vol. The original grain-size distribution shapes were modelled as end-member loadings with mean R2 values of 0.89 to 0.99 and MAD of 0.04 % vol to 0.17 % vol. End-member scores reproduced the original mixing ratios in the synthetic data set with mean R2 values of 0.68 to 0.93 and MAD of 0.1 % vol to 1.6 % vol. Depending on the validation criteria, all models provided reliable estimates of the input data, and each of the models exhibits individual strengths and weaknesses. Only robust EMMA allowed uncertainties of the end-members to be objectively estimated and expert knowledge to be included in the end-member definition. Yet, end-member interpretation should carefully consider the geological and sedimentological meaningfulness in terms of sediment sources, transport and deposition as well as post-depositional alteration of grain sizes. EMMA might also be powerful in other geoscientific contexts where the goal is to unmix sources and processes from compositional data sets.

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Effect of grain size distribution on the maximum and minimum void ratios of granular soils

Acta geotechnica slovenica ◽

10.18690/actageotechslov.17.2.26-33.2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 26-33

Author(s):

Jose Duque ◽

William Mario Fuentes Lacouture ◽

Jorge Andres Barros Ayala

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Granular Soil ◽

Granular Soils ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Experimental Procedure ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Grain Size Distributions ◽

Properties Of Soil

The maximum and minimum void ratios define the loosest and densest conditions of a granular soil. Correlations with some granulometric properties of soil are of interest for practical applications, but the experimental procedure to determine these variables can be time consuming. In this work the influence of the grain size distribution on the maximum and minimum void ratios is investigated. Twenty different granular soils with varying grain size distributions were prepared and tested. The experimental results, together with a compilation of 56 additional results reported in the literature, are statistically analysed. The analysis is conducted to examine the influence of some granulometric properties (D10, D30 and D60) on the maximum and minimum void ratios. As a result, some correlations considering the aforementioned variables are proposed. Subsequently, it is shown that the proposed correlations have better agreement with the experimental data than other proposals reported in the literature. The paper ends with some concluding remarks.

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Changes in Grain Size Distribution of a Submicron Grained Al-Sc Alloy during High Temperature Annealing

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.519-521.1617 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 519-521 ◽

pp. 1617-1622 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N. Burhan ◽

Michael Ferry

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Elevated Temperatures ◽

Large Fraction ◽

Direct Consequence ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Grain Coarsening ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Grain Size Distributions

Severe plastic straining is an established method for producing submicron grain (SMG) structures in alloys. However, the development of such a fine grained structure in single-phase alloys is usually futile if they are to be exposed or processed at elevated temperatures. This is a direct consequence of the natural tendency for rapid and substantial grain coarsening which completely removes the benefits obtained by grain refinement. This problem may be avoided by the introduction of nanosized, highly stable particles in the metal matrix. In this work, a SMG structure was generated in an Al-0.3 wt.% Sc alloy by Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP). The alloy was prepared initially to produce a fine grained microstructure exhibiting a large fraction of high angle grain boundaries and a dispersion of nanosized Al3Sc particles. The evolution of microstructure during annealing at temperatures up to 550 °C was examined in detail and grain size distributions generated from the data. It was shown that grain coarsening is rapid at temperatures above 450 °C and the initial log-normal grain size distribution exhibiting low variance and skewness was altered considerably. The statistical information generated from the grain size distributions confirms that discontinuous grain coarsening occurs in this alloy only at temperatures greater than 500 °C.

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Effects of grain size distribution on Cole-Cole plots of polycrystalline spinels

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-699-r3.13 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 699 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. P. Gutiérrez-Amador ◽

R. Valenzuela

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Mean Free Path ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Frequency Range ◽

Impedance Response ◽

Grain Size Distributions ◽

The Mean ◽

Different Grain Size

AbstractSpinel ferrites of composition Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 were prepared by coprecipitation. Different grain size and grain size distributions were obtained by various heat treatments. Their electrical properties were investigated by impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range 25-200°C and in the frequency range of 5Hz-13MHz. A decrease in resistivity was observed as grain size increased, which can be explained by an increase in the mean free path of electrons. Cole-Cole plots showed two well-resolved semicircles for samples with a narrow grain size distribution. As the width of the distribution increased, the semicircles exhibited a deformation and eventually became unresolved. These results are interpreted on the basis of a distribution of time-constant of the impedance response, associated with the grain size distribution.

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From monodisperse to polydisperse: the influence of grain size distribution on the mechanical behavior of porous synthetic rocks

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2629 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lucille Carbillet ◽

Michael Heap ◽

Fabian Wadsworth ◽

Patrick Baud ◽

Thierry Reuschlé

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Mechanical Behavior ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Glass Beads ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Porous Rocks ◽

Wide Range ◽

Grain Size Distributions ◽

Final Porosity

<p><span>Sedimentary crustal porous rocks span a wide range of grain size distributions &#8211; from monodisperse to highly polydisperse. The distribution of grain size depends on the location and conditions of rock formation, the chemico-physical processes at play, and is influenced by subsequent geological processes. Well-sorted granular rocks, with a grain size distribution close to monodisperse, and granular rocks with a more polydisperse grain size distribution, have repeatedly been subjected to laboratory experiments. And yet the natural variability from sample to sample and structural heterogeneity within single natural samples all conspire to prevent us from constraining the effect of grain size polydispersivity. While a few studies have focused on the influence of grain size, the control of grain size distribution on the mechanical behavior of rocks has scarcely been studied, especially in the laboratory. In this study, we address this knowledge-gap using synthetic samples prepared by sintering glass beads with controlled polydisperse grain size distributions. When heated above the glass transition temperature, the beads act as viscous droplets and sinter together. Throughout viscous sintering, a bead pack evolves from an initial granular discontinuous state into a solid connected porous state, at which the microstructural geometries and final porosity are known. Variably polydisperse individual samples were prepared by mixing glass beads with diameters of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.15 mm in various proportions, which were sintered together to a final porosity of 0.25 or 0.35. Hydrostatic and triaxial compression experiments were performed for each combination of polydispersivity. The samples were water-saturated, deformed at room temperature, and deformed under drained conditions (with a fixed pore pressure of 10 MPa). Triaxial experiments were conducted at a constant strain rate at effective pressure corresponding to the ductile (compactive) regime. Our mechanical data provide evidence that polydispersivity exerts a significant control on the compactive behavior of porous rocks. Insights into the microstructure were gained using scanning electron microscopy on thin sections prepared from samples before and after deformation. These data allow for the observation of the different deformation features, and by extension the deformation micro-mechanisms, promoted by the different type and degree of polydispersivity. Overall, our data show that, at a fixed porosity, increasing polydispersivity decreases the stress required for compactant failure.</span></p>

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ON ESTIMATION AND HYPOTHESIS TESTING OF THE GRAIN SIZE DISTRIBUTION BY THE SALTYKOV METHOD

Image Analysis & Stereology ◽

10.5566/ias.v27.p163-174 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 163 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Yuri Gulbin

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Three Dimensional Model ◽

Testing Procedures ◽

Accuracy And Precision ◽

Grain Size Distributions ◽

Distribution Testing

The paper considers the problem of validity of unfolding the grain size distribution with the back-substitution method. Due to the ill-conditioned nature of unfolding matrices, it is necessary to evaluate the accuracy and precision of parameter estimation and to verify the possibility of expected grain size distribution testing on the basis of intersection size histogram data. In order to review these questions, the computer modeling was used to compare size distributions obtained stereologically with those possessed by three-dimensional model aggregates of grains with a specified shape and random size. Results of simulations are reported and ways of improving the conventional stereological techniques are suggested. It is shown that new improvements in estimating and testing procedures enable grain size distributions to be unfolded more efficiently.

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Expected dust grain-size distributions in galaxies detected by ALMA at z > 7

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/stz2647 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 490 (1) ◽

pp. 540-549 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hsin-Min Liu ◽

Hiroyuki Hirashita

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Galaxy Evolution ◽

Grain Size Distribution ◽

High Redshift ◽

Size Distributions ◽

Total Dust ◽

Dust Sources ◽

Grain Size Distributions ◽

Different Grain Size

ABSTRACT The dust properties in high-redshift galaxies provide clues to the origin of dust in the Universe. Although dust has been detected in galaxies at redshift z > 7, it is difficult to constrain the dominant dust sources only from the total dust amount. Thus, we calculate the evolution of grain-size distribution, expecting that different dust sources predict different grain-size distributions. Using the star formation time-scale and the total Baryonic mass constrained by the data in the literature, we calculate the evolution of grain-size distribution. To explain the total dust masses in ALMA-detected z > 7 galaxies, the following two solutions are possible: (i) high dust condensation efficiency in stellar ejecta and (ii) efficient accretion (dust growth by accreting the gas-phase metals in the interstellar medium). We find that these two scenarios predict significantly different grain-size distributions: in (i), the dust is dominated by large grains ($a\gtrsim 0.1\,{\mu m}$, where a is the grain radius), while in (ii), the small-grain ($a\lesssim 0.01\,{\mu m}$) abundance is significantly enhanced by accretion. Accordingly, extinction curves are expected to be much steeper in (ii) than in (i). Thus, we conclude that extinction curves provide a viable way to distinguish the dominant dust sources in the early phase of galaxy evolution.

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