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SEDIMENT GRAIN-SIZE ANALYSIS SOFTWARE

 

Measures that describe and summarize sediment grain-size distributions are important to geologists because of the large amount of information contained in textural data sets. Statistical methods and classification schemes are usually employed to simplify the necessary comparisons among samples and quantify the observed differences. Most of the programs provided here were written in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, provide a window to facilitate program execution, accept input files in comma-delimited ASCII, and allow users to select options primarily with mouse-click events, or through interactive dialogue boxes.

The downloadable zipped files below contain compiled and uncompiled versions of the software, helpful readme files, test input files, and detailed documentation.


SEDCLASS - This program generates verbal equivalents to characterize grain-size distributions.  Input for the sediment fractions is percentages of gravel, sand, silt, and clay in the Wentworth (1922) grade scale, and the program permits the user to select output in either the Shepard (1954) classification scheme, as modified by Schlee (1973), or the Folk scheme (1954, 1974).

Download SEDCLASS

For more information on SEDCLASS, please refer to the following publication:

Poppe, L.J., Eliason, A.H., and Hastings, M.E., 2003, A Visual Basic program to classify sediments based on gravel-sand-silt-clay ratios: Computers and Geosciences, v. 29, no. 6, p. 805-809.


GSSTAT - This program generates statistics to characterize sediment grain-size distributions and can extrapolate the fine-grained end of these particle distributions.  Input for the sediment fractions is weight percentages in whole-phi notation, and the program permits the user to select output in either method of moments (Krumbein and Pettijohn, 1938) or inclusive graphics (Folk, 1974) statistics.

Download GSSTAT

For more information on GSSTAT, please refer to the following publication:

Poppe, L.J., Eliason, A.H., and Hastings, M.E., 2004, A Visual Basic program to generate sediment grain-size statistics and to extrapolate particle distributions: Computers and Geosciences, v. 30, no. 7, p. 791-795.


SEDPLOT - This program generates ternary diagrams to characterize and graphically display sediment grain-size distributions. The inputs for the sediment fractions are percentages of gravel, sand, silt, and clay in the Wentworth (1922) grade scale, and the program permits the user to select output in either the Shepard (1954) classification scheme, as modified by Schlee (1973), or the Folk (1954, 1974) scheme.

Download SEDPLOT

For more information on SEDPLOT, please refer to the following publication:

Poppe, L.J. and Eliason, A.E., 2008, A Visual Basic program to plot sediment grain-size data on ternary diagrams: Computers and Geosciences, v. 34, p. 561-565.


CVORT - This program, which was written in “c” and can be compiled to run under UNIX, allows the user to compute centrifugal velocity and time for settling specific particles from a given medium. Options allow the user to input viscosity and specific gravity of the medium and specific gravity of the particulate to be settled.

Download CVORT

For more information on CVORT, please refer to the following publication:

Poppe, L.J., Fredericks, J.J., and Hathaway, J.C., 1988, A computer program to calculate centrifugation parameters for sedimentation analyses: Computers and Geosciences, v. 14, no. 4, p. 541-545.


CENTRISET – This program, which was written in Basic to run under Windows 98/2000/XP operating systems, computes settling velocity based on Stokes Law for gravitational procedures, and angular velocity or total time for settling specific particles from a given medium by centrifuge.

Download CENTRISET

For more information on CENTRISET, please refer to the following publication:

Poppe, L.J., and Eliason, A.E., 2009, A BASIC program to calculate gravitational and centrifugal parameters: Geological Society of America, v. 41, no.3, 21.


GRAINSIZE_XLS  (Beta) –  This Excel spreadsheet generates normalized distributions by combining data from the gravel, sand, silt, and clay fractions obtained during typical sediment grain-size analyses.

Download GRAINSIZE

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