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TWO METHODS FOR QUANTITATIVE DESCRIPTION OF SOIL PARTICLE SHAPE
Author(s) -
DAVIS P. F.,
DEXTER A. R.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1972.tb01676.x
Subject(s) - curvature , comminution , particle (ecology) , chord (peer to peer) , soil water , function (biology) , particle size , mathematics , geometry , statistical physics , mineralogy , geology , physics , materials science , soil science , computer science , distributed computing , oceanography , evolutionary biology , metallurgy , biology , paleontology
Summary It was required to be able to measure the shapes of soil particles in order that the influence of shape on soil mechanical properties could be investigated. Two methods were developed, both of which can be applied to particle cross‐sections or outlines. The first is a shape function which compares chord lengths with arc lengths around the particle outlines. The second method involves taking discrete Fourier transforms of the normalized curvatures of the outlines, and the production of curvature spectra. Both methods are illustrated with the use of the same data. The data were for three sizes of particle from a sandy soil. Both methods illustrate the greater asphericity or angularity of the smaller particles, which is consistent with the Griffith theory of comminution. Change in shape with particle size may be useful for classifying soils according to their methods of formation.